In the early morning of June 9 (Vietnam time), the UEFA Nations League 2024-2025 final between Portugal and Spain ended with a victory for "Selecao".
The two teams drew 2-2 after 120 minutes of intense play. On the penalty spot, Portugal was the team with more courage when they won with a score of 5-3.
This championship has a big mark on striker Cristiano Ronaldo. In the final, he contributed 1 goal. However, he could not play the entire final match.
With the score at 2-2, coach Roberto Martinez was forced to replace Ronaldo with Goncalo Ramos. The Portuguese captain shows signs of a muscle injury. Ronaldo sat down on the field, clearly showing pain in his leg and signaled to call the medical staff before being substituted.
After the Portuguese team won against Spain and won the championship, Ronaldo can travel after the match and at the closing ceremony and award ceremony. However, in the interview after the closing ceremony, Ronaldo shared about his condition.
Athlon Sports quoted the 40-year-old striker as saying: "I felt pain in the pre-match warm-up process. This injury has been simmering for a while. But for the national team, if I had to break my leg, I would.
The final match was a title, I had to play and gave my all. The goal with the team has helped me go that far. I am very happy. The victory for Portugal is very special. I have many titles, but there is nothing better than winning for the national team".
At the age of 40, fans hope Ronaldo will continue to play, shine and contribute to the national team. However, the physical and health problems of the Portuguese captain also make many people feel worried.
"Winning a title is always an achievement of a national team. I will think more about the future in the future. I have suffered persistent injuries and that has affected me a lot in the past time. However, I am always encouraged to play for the national team," Ronaldo confided.
In the UEFA Nations League 2024-2025, Ronaldo contributed 8 goals and 1 assist after 9 appearances.
The goal in the final helped Ronaldo become the oldest player to score in the final of this tournament (40 years and 123 days). The striker born in 1985 also increased his scoring record to 938, while also getting closer to the goal of 1,000 goals in his career.
