Cristiano Ronaldo continues to defy age and expectations. The Portuguese football legend, now 40 years old, scored the winning goal against Germany in the UEFA Nations League semi-final played in Munich — marking the first time he has ever beaten the German national team in his long and decorated career.
With that goal, Ronaldo now has 137 international goals in 220 appearances for Portugal and a total of 937 goals across all competitions — all of which are records in men’s football. It was also his second-ever goal against Germany in six matches.
Before this historic victory, Ronaldo had faced Germany five times and lost all five. Portugal had not defeated Germany since Euro 2000, making this win especially sweet for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and his country.
Interestingly, the only national team Ronaldo has played multiple times without a win is England — three games, all of which ended in draws. However, Portugal won two of those matches via penalty shootouts, including the memorable Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup quarter-finals.
France remains the team that has beaten Ronaldo’s Portugal the most, with four victories. But Ronaldo and his teammates famously beat the French in the Euro 2016 final, and the rivalry has also featured three draws.
Ronaldo’s numbers remain mind-blowing, especially in his post-30 career. Since turning 30, he has scored 85 goals for Portugal alone. That number is more than the entire international career totals of football greats like Diego Maradona, Gerd Muller, Pele, Neymar, and Harry Kane.
“It’s difficult to put into words,” said Portugal manager Roberto Martinez. “He takes each day as an opportunity to get better. As a human, when you have success, you wake up and have less hunger. But not Cristiano.”
His teammate Bernardo Silva added: “It’s his ambition to keep going. He’s been doing this for more than 20 years. It’s tough, but he’s here with us and we’re happy he scored again.”
After Portugal’s Nations League final on Sunday — where they will face either France or Spain — attention will turn to Ronaldo’s club future. His contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr has ended, and after their final game of the season, he posted on social media: “This chapter is over. The story? Still being written.”
The cryptic message led many fans to believe he would be leaving the Saudi club. Some reports linked him with Brazilian club Botafogo, especially with talk of him playing in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino even hinted at “discussions” around Ronaldo’s potential involvement.
However, multiple media reports now say Ronaldo is likely to **renew his contract with Al-Nassr**, possibly extending his stay until the age of 42.
Ronaldo currently sits on 937 goals. That means he needs **63 more goals** to become the first footballer in history to officially reach 1,000 career goals.
While Brazilian legends Pele and Romario both claimed to have reached the 1,000-goal mark, their totals included goals from unofficial matches and friendlies, which are not officially recognised.
If Ronaldo maintains his scoring rate — he scored 35 goals for Al-Nassr last season — he could reach the 1,000-goal mark in less than two seasons.
Whether he stays in Saudi Arabia or moves elsewhere, one thing is clear: **Cristiano Ronaldo’s hunger for goals and greatness is far from over**.
