Portugal have booked their place in the UEFA Nations League (UNL) final after a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over hosts Germany, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s 137th international goal sealing the win. The result ends a frustrating streak of five consecutive defeats for the Seleção against Die Mannschaft.
Delayed by ten minutes due to a storm in Munich, the match at the Allianz Arena saw both sides keen to establish early dominance. Portugal’s Diogo Costa was tested early, denying Leon Goretzka and Nick Woltemade with superb saves, while at the other end, Marc-Andre ter Stegen comfortably held a sharp strike from Ronaldo. Despite Germany’s continuous threat, the first half ended goalless, with Roberto Martínez’s side struggling to find their rhythm in the final third.
The second half ignited quickly. Just three minutes after the restart, Germany broke the deadlock in the 48th minute. Joshua Kimmich’s perfectly lofted delivery found Florian Wirtz, who directed a clinical header into the bottom corner, giving the seemingly Liverpool-bound playmaker the opener.
However, Portugal showed resilience, regrouping swiftly. In the 63rd minute, substitute Francisco Conceicao provided the spark, skipping past Robin Gosens before curling a stunning strike from the edge of the box into the top corner, completely shifting the momentum.
The turnaround was completed just five minutes later. Nuno Mendes sliced through the German defence and set up Ronaldo for a simple close-range finish, securing his milestone 137th international goal.
Stunned by Portugal’s quickfire double, Germany pushed for an equalizer in the final quarter-hour, with Karim Adeyemi hitting the outside of the post from range. However, the Portuguese defence held firm, inflicting only Julian Nagelsmann’s side’s second defeat in 13 matches on German soil.
Portugal now advance to the UEFA Nations League final, scheduled for June 8, 2025, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, where they will face the winner of the second semi-final between Spain and France.
