MUNICH, Germany – Cristiano Ronaldo just keeps making history! On Wednesday, the Portuguese superstar broke a long-standing jinx against Germany, netting the winning goal in a thrilling 2-1 victory that sends Portugal straight into the Nations League final.
His 68th-minute tap-in wasn’t just his record-extending 137th international goal; it finally snapped a frustrating streak. After five consecutive losses, this marked Portugal’s very first win against Germany in Ronaldo’s career – quite literally breaking his longest winless run against any national team.
Germany, after a somewhat shaky first half, found their spark through Florian Wirtz. Just three minutes into the second half, he carved through the middle, orchestrating a brilliant play that he then finished himself, nodding in the opener.
But Portugal wasn’t going to roll over. Francisco Conceicao embarked on a dazzling 35-meter solo run, unleashing a brilliant strike to level the score with just half an hour left on the clock.
The stage was perfectly set for Ronaldo. Despite fluffing two good chances earlier, he wasn’t going to miss this one. From close range, he clinically turned in a Nuno Mendes pass, putting Portugal ahead.
Now, Portugal, who famously won the very first Nations League title back in 2019, will face off against either European champions Spain or France in Sunday’s final, right back here at the same venue.
For Julian Nagelsmann’s German side, this loss stings. It’s a rare setback for a team that had only dropped one of their last 17 matches.
Match Details:
Despite four of Portugal’s players still recovering from Saturday’s Champions League final — and all the celebrations that followed — it was Germany who surprisingly struggled to find their rhythm early on. The game itself kicked off about 10 minutes late, thanks to a rather violent hailstorm that left little icy pellets scattered all over the pitch.
Early on, Germany’s Aleksandar Pavlovic was noticeably shaky, misplacing several passes. Portugal, meanwhile, cleverly pressed Jonathan Tah, almost capitalizing on his insecure possession.
Ronaldo, as expected, was met with a mix of roaring Portuguese cheers and loud German boos every time he touched the ball. Just six minutes in, he nearly scored the opener, but his shot was smartly scooped up by his old La Liga rival, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, making his first appearance for Germany since September 2024.
Germany’s best chance of that opening half came courtesy of debutant Nick Woltemade around the 18-minute mark, but the towering 1.98-meter striker’s low shot was expertly saved by Diogo Costa.
Then came the moment Ronaldo almost put Portugal ahead right after halftime! The visitors broke quickly, but he couldn’t quite get enough boot on a clever Nuno Mendes cross, with an open goal just begging to be hit.
Germany wasted no time punishing that miss. Less than a minute later, Wirtz somehow tiptoed his way down the left, drawing in three defenders before calmly laying it off to Joshua Kimmich. The German captain then perfectly chipped it over the Portuguese defense, right back to Wirtz, who expertly guided a low header into the bottom right corner.
Both managers shuffled their decks around the 60-minute mark, making three changes each, but it was clearly Roberto Martinez whose substitutions paid off big time. Just five minutes after stepping onto the pitch, Conceicao left Robin Gosens in the dust with a quick shimmy near the halfway line. He then charged towards goal, unleashing a simply superb curling shot that sailed past the desperate, outstretched fingers of Ter Stegen.
Then, of course, it was Ronaldo who clinched it. He coolly tapped in that Nuno Mendes pass, making up for those earlier misses – his 137th goal for Portugal in his 219th international appearance. Just incredible.
Munich-born Karim Adeyemi gave Germany a flicker of hope, rattling the crossbar with just eight minutes left. But it wasn’t enough. Germany couldn’t find that equalizer, and they’ll now have to settle for a third-place match in Stuttgart on Sunday.
