Football 29w1y
Cristiano Ronaldo Fires Portugal to 2025 Nations League Final: Country Reach Their Fourth Major Final All Fuelled By CR7’s Semi-Final Goals y133p
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Get to know Sushan Chakraborty betterPublished05 Jun 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo found the back of the net as Portugal booked a place in the 2025 UEFA Nations League final, beating 2-1 at the Allianz Arena.
The victory on Wednesday night (June 4) allowed Portugal to qualify for their fourth major final in history. Interestingly, Ronaldo scored in the semi-final of all four campaigns.
Cristiano Ronaldo Fires Portugal to 2025 UEFA Nations League Final 49e1
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has made a career out of scoring against the best teams in the business. However, even the great CR7 has a weakness or two. In international football, it is . At least they were until the 2025 UEFA Nations League A semi-final.
Before the game in Munich, Ronaldo had faced five times, scoring one goal and losing all five matches. The 40-year-old was eager to put an end to the drought, and it showed throughout the game.
Following a goalless first half, Florian Wirtz fired into the lead in the 48th minute. Juventus attacker Chico Conceicao equalised with a wonderful strike from outside the box in the 63rd minute. Minutes later, Bruno Fernandes, who has earned praise for rejecting a move to Saudi Arabia, and Nuno Mendes helped Ronaldo score the go-ahead goal.
EM FRENTE, PORTUGAL!! pic.twitter.com/KKuCip7yt8
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) June 4, 2025
Following a neat exchange with Fernandes, Mendes zipped a low cross into the box for Ronaldo. Ronaldo, who has recently turned down an offer from Flamengo, applied a clinical tap-in to send the ball into the back of the net.
were unable to find a way back and succumbed to a 2-1 defeat. Portugal will meet the winner of the second UEFA Nations League semi-final between Spain and in the final on Sunday, June 8.
The Ronaldo Factor: CR7 Scored in All Four Semi-Finals Portugal Won 416b72
Before qualifying for the UEFA Nations League final on Wednesday, Portugal had only reached three major finals in their history. Cristiano Ronaldo scored in all four semi-finals they won on their way to the finals.
Having explored CR7’s heroics in the 2025 UEFA Nations League semi-finals, we will take a look at how he inspired the other three.
#3 UEFA Nations League 2019 Semi-Final vs. Switzerland u2r24
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal reached their first UEFA Nations League final in 2019. Os Navegadores claimed a 3-1 win over Switzerland, with all three goals coming from Ronaldo’s magical boots.
He scored his first through a perfectly taken free kick in the 25th minute. Ricardo Rodriguez equalised for the Swiss in the 57th minute and held Portugal at 1-1 until Ronaldo came back swinging at the death. The marksman applied two more world-class finishes in the 88th and the 90th minutes to seal a 3-1 win.
CR7 did not score in the final, but Portugal secured a 1-0 win over the Netherlands.
#2 UEFA Euro 2016 Semi-Final vs. Wales 3h3i1e
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal beat then-Real Madrid teammate Gareth Bale’s Wales in the 2016 European Championship semi-final. The Portuguese boys secured a 2-0 win over the Welsh Dragons.
Ronaldo, unsurprisingly, was at the heart of it all. He scored the first goal for Portugal in the 50th minute before assisting Nani for the insurance in the 53rd.
The Portugal captain came off injured in the final against , but his teammates pulled through, sealing a 1-0 win.
#1 UEFA Euro 2004 Semi-Final vs. Netherlands 1j5id
Cristiano Ronaldo’s big-game ability shone through for the first time in the semi-final against the Netherlands in the 2004 European Championship.
A young Ronaldo headed Portugal into the lead in the 26th minute. In the 58th minute, Maniche scored a wondergoal from the edge of the box. Ronaldo, however, was credited with the assist for playing the ball to him from the corner.
Jorge Andrade’s 63rd-minute own goal caused a bit of panic in the Portuguese camp, but they saw it through.
Unfortunately for Ronaldo, Portugal’s Euro 2004 campaign ended in despair, as hosts Greece claimed a 1-0 win.
How Many Finals Has Cristiano Ronaldo Scored in for Portugal? e4a6m
Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to score in a major final for Portugal.
He will look to end his barren run when Portugal meet Spain or in the 2025 UEFA Nations League final on June 8.