Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears as he won a third trophy with Portugal – the Nations League.
And what a way to do it, as they beat their neighbors and oldest rivals Spain on penalties.
Ronaldo may have already been off the pitch, having been replaced in the 88th minute – but he had already played his part.
The Portugal captain made it 2-2 in the 61st minute with a close-range finish. That was his 138th international goal, extending his own record.
And it was his eighth in nine Nations League games this campaign, only behind Sweden’s Viktor Gyokeres.
Not bad for a 40-year-old who has spent the past two and a half years in the Saudi Arabian league with Al-Nassr.
It marks the first time Spain have failed to lift a trophy since the 2022 World Cup, having won the Nations League in 2023 and Euro 2024.
At times in this tournament – beating France 5-4 in the semi-finals – they looked unstoppable. But Ronaldo and Portugal did just that.
Nuno Mendes too, with the Portugal full-back keeping Spain star Lamine Yamal quiet and scoring a goal himself.
Ronaldo said: “Winning for Portugal is always special. I have many titles with clubs, but nothing is better than winning for Portugal.
“It’s tears. It’s duty done and a lot of joy.”
Ronaldo wins the Yamal battle
“When you talk about a clash between Cristiano and someone else, that’s not how it works. The media always try to hype things up, which is a normal thing, but it’s one team versus another.”
They were the words of Ronaldo in the build-up to this game, and many discussed the 40-year-old coming up against 17-year-old Spain superstar Yamal.
And it was Ronaldo who emerged a winner in more ways than one after netting the 938th goal of his career, hooking in Mendes’ deflected cross from close range.
Former England midfielder Andros Townsend on ITV said: “This is why Cristiano Ronaldo is on the football pitch.
“He is a predator in the box. He knows where the ball is going to go. Good contact when it comes to him.
“People have written him off time and time again but he played his part tonight. He more than played his part in the semi-final. He has proven he can still make a difference at the highest level.”
ITV pundit Karen Carney added: “Ronaldo’s eyes lit up. ‘Who else? Me.’
“When you turn 30 everyone calls you old in football. This guy is 40 and he is constant defying us.”
He only touched the ball 22 times – but did track back more than once, including to win the ball off Yamal.
The Spain winger, who scored twice in the semi-final win over France, did not enjoy one of his best games.
He had four shots, mostly from distance, forcing two saves from Diogo Costa.
“Yamal will learn tonight. He was completely anonymous. He will have to think of ways of doing this,” said Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague.
Source: BBC
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