Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved almost everything in football, but one thing had remained out of reach – beating Germany at the international level. That changed when he scored the winning goal in Portugal’s Nations League semi-final match in Munich. This moment added to his record-breaking career, marking his 137th international goal in 220 appearances, and his 937th overall goal across all competitions.
Ronaldo had a poor record against Germany until now, losing all five of his previous matches. Portugal hadn’t beaten Germany since Euro 2000, but now it’s one win in six for Ronaldo. With that, England now becomes the country he’s faced most without a win – three matches, all ending in draws. However, Portugal did win two of those games on penalties during the Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup.
France remains the team Ronaldo has lost to the most (four times), though he famously defeated them in the Euro 2016 final. He has now scored two goals in 540 minutes against Germany – a goal every 270 minutes – a slow rate by his usual high standards. Ironically, Ronaldo has scored 28 goals in 26 games against German clubs in the Champions League.
Since turning 30, Ronaldo has scored 85 goals for Portugal — a number that surpasses the full career international goal totals of legends like Pele, Gerd Muller, Diego Maradona, and even modern stars like Neymar and Harry Kane.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez praised Ronaldo’s relentless mindset, saying, “He treats each day as a chance to improve. Most people lose hunger after success, but not Cristiano.” Teammate Bernardo Silva added, “His drive to keep going every day is incredible. He’s been doing this for over 20 years.”
What’s next for Ronaldo?
Ronaldo’s next stop is the Nations League final against either France or Spain. Beyond that, his club future is uncertain. His contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr is ending this summer. A recent social media post suggested a possible exit: “This chapter is over. The story? Still being written.”
While clubs like Brazil’s Botafogo were linked to him, current reports suggest Ronaldo might renew with Al-Nassr until age 42. There are also talks about his potential appearance in the upcoming Club World Cup, even though Al-Nassr didn’t qualify.
Can Ronaldo reach 1,000 career goals?
Currently sitting at 937 goals, Ronaldo needs 63 more to become the first footballer to officially score 1,000 goals in professional matches. While Pele and Romario claimed the milestone, their totals included many unofficial matches.
Ronaldo scored 35 goals last season for Al-Nassr. If he maintains that form, reaching 1,000 goals could be possible within the next two seasons.
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