Cristiano Ronaldo broke down in tears of joy after scoring his 138th international goal and helping Portugal lift the UEFA Nations League title in a nail-biting final against Spain in Munich.
The epic showdown between the Iberian rivals ended 2-2 after extra time before Portugal edged out Spain 5-4 in a dramatic penalty shootout, with Alvaro Morata’s miss proving costly and Ruben Neves calmly slotting the winner to send Portuguese fans into raptures.
“Winning for Portugal is always special,” a visibly emotional Ronaldo told the media. “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.”
The final was billed as a clash of generations: 40-year-old five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo vs. Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. And while Yamal struggled to shine, the veteran stepped up when it mattered most.
Spain looked set for another title after Martin Zubimendi opened the scoring in the 21st minute. But Portugal hit back just eight minutes later, with Nuno Mendes levelling things up after some slick interplay involving Ronaldo.
Spain regained the lead thanks to a pinpoint pass from Pedri and a composed finish by Mikel Oyarzabal — the same man who netted the winner in last year’s Euro final against England.
But Ronaldo wasn’t done. The Portuguese captain struck again just past the hour mark, pouncing from close range to level the score at 2-2 and send the match into extra time.
Both sides had chances, but the deadlock remained, forcing a penalty shootout. Spain blinked first, with Morata missing his spot-kick, before Ruben Neves sealed it for Portugal.
“Details do make the difference,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente. “We were doing enough to avoid penalties, but on the night, they were just slightly more effective.”
Ronaldo, who limped off injured late in extra time, watched the shootout from the sidelines — his face etched with nerves. But when Neves struck the winning penalty, tears streamed down his face in one of the most emotional moments of his glittering career.
Portugal are now champions once again, with their legendary No. 7 right at the heart of it all.
