Cristiano Ronaldo ends unwanted record after scoring winner for Portugal against Germany
The striker scored the winner in Portugal's 2-1 victory against Germany in the UEFA Nations League semifinal, marking the first time Ronaldo has ever beaten Die Mannschaft.
Ronaldo had lost all five times he previously played Germany and Portugal had not won this fixture in 25 years.
As well as ending the unwanted record, the victory also sent Portugal through to the UEFA Nations League final on June 8 where it will face either defending champion Spain or France.
In his 220th appearance for the national side, Ronaldo yet again proved the difference.
Portugal had initially gone behind in the semifinal after Florian Wirtz headed Germany ahead in the 48th minute, before Francisco Conceição whipped in a brilliant equalizer just after the hour mark.
The stage was then set for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to score the winner just five minutes later, tapping into an open net after Nuno Mendes teed him up with a square pass.
It was Ronaldo's 137th international goal for Portugal and the 937th of his career, extending the two records he already has.
The last time Portugal beat Germany was back in Euro 2000, when Sérgio Conceição scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win during the group stage.
It was fitting, then, that his son Francisco scored in Wednesday's win, helping to end the long-running winless streak.
'We need to enjoy the victory. We won for the first time in a while against Germany,' Portugal manager Roberto Martínez said after the game, per Reuters.
'Tactically, we were exceptional and our commitment helped. It was a team victory.
'Now, we can recover and evaluate. We want another performance with personality in this shirt.'
Despite his age and the fact he's been playing in Saudi Arabia for the last three seasons, Ronaldo has proven yet again that he has the ability to still perform at a high level.
But where exactly he will play next season is currently up for debate. The Portuguese star raised questions about his future with a cryptic social media post last month.
'This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Thanks to all,' Ronaldo wrote with a picture of him in his Al Nassr kit.
It comes as FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently suggested that Ronaldo may well play in this year's inaugural Club World Cup, suggesting a move away from Al Nassr which failed to qualify.
His contract is set to expire at the end of this season leaving him free to sign with any club he chooses.
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'A phenomenon,' Sporting coach Rui Borges called him after hr got two goals against Casa Pia in March. 'He's got it all: technical quality, strength, lucidity. He's one of the best strikers ever to play in our league.' Before facing him in another game that month, Estrela da Amadora defender Ferro suggested the only way to stop the Swedish forward was with a 'magic potion'. Now comes the biggest test yet, with Gyokeres charged with translating all that to the English top flight he never quite got to play in with Brighton and fell just shy of reaching as a Coventry player. Is he ready? Eklund is sure. 'He needs to play every week,' he says. 'He's perfect for the Premier League.' Stephens, who made 109 Premier League appearances for Brighton and Burnley, agrees. 'He has all the attributes. I suppose it'll be: can he do it in the big games? But I don't think Arsenal will look at this as a risk. They will have looked at him against the top teams in the Champions League.' Advertisement Finally, for Sheaf, the Arsenal move, along with Gyokeres' Champions League exploits — including a hat-trick against Manchester City last season — is evidence that 'The big meatball-head' is much more than just power and pace. 'He's not just a machine that can run through people and bully defenders,' he says. 'He can play more intricately. He's going to have to adapt his game, but he's only going to get better.'
