Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, of Al Nassr, smiled in the face-off against the formidable teenager Lamine Yamal, 18, of Barcelona.
Portugal clinched the championship trophy after tying Spain 2-2 and winning 5-3 in a penalty shootout at the 2024-2025 UEFA Nations League final held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on the 9th. Portugal lifted the trophy for the first time in six years since their inaugural victory in 2019.
Ronaldo marked his presence by scoring a dramatic equalizer in the 61st minute after Portugal trailed 1-2. He recorded his 138th international goal.
After the match, Ronaldo noted, “Winning for the homeland is always special. I’d be fine if my leg broke for my country.”
Regarding his first match against the formidable teenager Yamal, Ronaldo advised, “When one era passes, another era comes. It’s also nice to see the growth of a new generation. I hope Yamal is allowed to grow without pressure. That way, we can enjoy his talent for a long time.”
Ronaldo scored his 938th career goal, taking a step closer to his ambition of reaching 1,000 career goals.
Ronaldo expressed pride by saying, “I have never seen a player like myself. Numbers don’t lie.”
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