Cristiano Ronaldo Breaks Germany Curse with Match-Winner for Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo just can’t stop rewriting history. On Wednesday, the 40-year-old football icon added another milestone to his legendary career — and this one had been a long time coming.

In Portugal’s 2-1 UEFA Nations League semifinal win over Germany, Ronaldo scored the decisive goal, finally snapping his personal losing streak against Die Mannschaft. It was the first time ever that Ronaldo had beaten Germany, having come up short in their five previous encounters.

Even more impressively, it marked Portugal’s first win over Germany in 25 years — not since Euro 2000, when Sérgio Conceição netted a memorable hat trick, had the Portuguese come out on top.

In a poetic twist, Sérgio’s son, Francisco Conceição, played a starring role in breaking the curse. After Germany took the lead in the 48th minute through a header from Florian Wirtz, it was Francisco who brought Portugal level just after the hour mark with a stunning equalizer.

Then came Ronaldo’s moment.

Just five minutes later, Nuno Mendes delivered a perfect square pass into the box, and the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was there to tap it home — his 137th goal in international play and the 937th of his career. The goal secured Portugal’s place in the Nations League final on June 8, where they’ll face either Spain or France.

It was also Ronaldo’s 220th appearance for the national team — and, once again, he proved he’s still the man for the big moment.

“A Team Victory”

Portugal coach Roberto Martínez praised his side’s performance after the match.

“We need to enjoy the victory. We won for the first time in a while against Germany,” he told reporters. “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.”

What’s Next for Ronaldo?

While Ronaldo continues to shine on the international stage, questions linger about his club future.

He’s spent the last three seasons playing in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, but a cryptic social media post in May stirred speculation. “This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Thanks to all,” he wrote alongside a photo in his Al Nassr kit.

With his contract set to expire this summer, Ronaldo is poised to become a free agent. And there may be more big stages to come — FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently hinted that Ronaldo could appear in this year’s inaugural Club World Cup, potentially with a new team.

One thing’s certain: whether on the pitch or in the headlines, Cristiano Ronaldo’s story is far from over.