Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name in the history books
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Cristiano Ronaldo broke a 57-year-old world record
- Ronaldo scored eight goals in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League
- Ronaldo scored in both the semi-final and final
Cristiano Ronaldo created history on Sunday (June 8) after leading Portugal to victory in the 2023-25 UEFA National League after beating European Champions Spain in the final at the iconic Allianz Arena in Munich after a dramatic penalty shoot victory.
Ronaldo, who finished as the highest goal-scorer in the tournament, scored eight goals in the summit clash. The 40-year-old's goal was an important one as he equalised in the 61st minute while his team were 2-1 down. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner had earlier scored the winner in the semi-final against Germany.
Cristiano Ronaldo Creates History
Ronaldo etched his name in the history books with his goal in the national team as he became the oldest player (40 years, 123 days) in history to score a goal in a major international final. The Portuguese great broke a record set by Pierre Kalala Mukendi (37 years) in the 1968 AFCON final against Ghana
Ronaldo is the first player in history to score a major international final after turning 40
Oldest Players To Score In An International Final
| Player |
Country |
Opponent |
Age |
Tournament |
| Cristiano Ronaldo |
Portugal |
Spain |
40 |
UEFA Nations League 2025 |
| Pierre Kalala Mukendi |
Congo |
Ghana |
37 |
AFCON 1968 |
| Nils Liedholm |
Sweden |
Brazil |
35 |
FIFA World Cup 1958 |
Ronaldo also broke the record of Karim Benzema (33 years, 295 days) to become the oldest player to score in the Nations League. The French star had scored in France's victory over Spain in the summit clash in 2021 at the San Siro in Milan.
With his goal in the semi-final, Ronaldo became the first player in history to score in the Nations League (at any age) after turning 40. Previously, the oldest player to score in the tournament was Roy Chipolina (39 years 246 days) for Gibraltar against Bulgaria in 2022.
Ronaldo's tally of eight goals is also the most in a single edition of the top division (League A) of the Nations League in history. While Sweden's Viktor Gyokres scored nine goals in the 2024-25 edition, it came in the third division (League C).
Ronaldo is also the first captain to lift the trophy twice, as Portugal became the first multiple-time champions. The Ronaldo-led outfit had also won the inaugural edition in 2019.
