At Munich’s Allianz Arena during the UEFA Nations League semi-final, Cristiano Ronaldo found himself facing some cheeky “Messi, Messi” chants from the German fans while warming up. Instead of getting upset, the 40-year-old striker decided to join in on the fun with a playful dance, a move that quickly caught fire on social media . Just under an hour later, in the 68th minute, he silenced the crowd with a perfectly executed finish from a Nuno Mendes cross, putting Portugal ahead 2–1 in a thrilling match.

The game had started to tilt in Germany’s favor early in the second half when Florian Wirtz scored with a header from a pinpoint Joshua Kimmich cross, celebrating Kimmich’s 100th international cap in style But Portugal wasn’t about to back down: Francisco Conceição fired off a stunning 25-yard shot in the 63rd minute, leveling the score and halting Germany’s momentum. Just moments later, Ronaldo took advantage of another Mendes cross to nod in the winning goal—finally ending Portugal’s 25-year drought against Germany and marking Ronaldo’s first victory over them since 2003.

This victory was monumental, not only did Portugal break a quarter-century winless streak against Germany, but Ronaldo, once again the star of the show, added to his legendary status. His winning goal brought his international tally to an impressive 137 goals in 220 appearances, solidifying his place as the all-time leading scorer in Portuguese history . The goal also capped off a remarkable tournament for him, finishing as the Nations League’s top scorer with six goals in total.

Portugal’s thrilling semi-final victory has set the stage for an exciting final against Spain, who just pulled off a nail-biting 5–4 win over France—featuring the incredible talent of Lamine Yamal . After leading Portugal to Nations League glory back in 2019, Ronaldo is now on a mission to snag his second title in this competition . Even with a brief weather delay and a strange pitch-invader moment before the match, Ronaldo kept his cool—his calm demeanor and sharp skills making him the face of a team determined to claim victory at Munich’s legendary stadium.