Cristiano Ronaldo scored the decisive goal as Portugal defeated Germany 2–1 in Munich on Wednesday, securing a spot in the UEFA Nations League final and ending his long-standing winless streak against the Germans.
Ronaldo’s 68th-minute tap-in — his record-extending 137th international goal — sealed Portugal’s first-ever win over Germany after five consecutive losses, the longest such run in his international career.
Germany took the lead early in the second half through a moment of brilliance from Florian Wirtz, who started and finished a slick move with a deft header in the 48th minute. But Portugal struck back just before the hour mark through Francisco Conceição, who sprinted nearly 35 metres before unleashing a sublime solo finish past Marc-André ter Stegen.
Then came Ronaldo’s moment. After missing two chances earlier in the match, the Portugal captain made no mistake when Nuno Mendes squared the ball across the box, calmly slotting home from close range to complete the turnaround.
The result sends 2019 Nations League champions Portugal into Sunday’s final, where they will face either France or Spain at the same venue.
Germany, meanwhile, suffered only their second loss in 18 matches under coach Julian Nagelsmann and will now play in the third-place match in Stuttgart.
Delayed start, frantic finish
Kickoff was delayed by 10 minutes due to a violent storm that left hail scattered across the pitch. Despite missing rhythm early on, Germany looked sharper in the first half, with debutant Nick Woltemade forcing a strong save from Diogo Costa.
Ronaldo nearly opened the scoring six minutes in, testing ter Stegen — playing his first match for Germany since September 2024 — with a driven shot. He was also inches away from converting a Mendes cross just after the break.
Germany immediately capitalized on that miss. Wirtz danced past three defenders, laid off to Joshua Kimmich, and then latched onto the return chip to nod the ball past Costa for the opener.
But Portugal coach Roberto Martínez’s substitutions proved decisive. Conceição, brought on just minutes earlier, skipped past Robin Gosens and launched a stunning equalizer from the edge of the box.
Ronaldo’s winner followed soon after, bringing his international tally to 137 goals in 219 appearances.
Germany nearly forced extra time when Munich-born Karim Adeyemi rattled the crossbar late on, but Portugal held firm to book their place in the final.
AFP
