Daily News 24/7 | 26 June 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved yet another remarkable milestone in his legendary career — finally scoring a winning goal against Germany at international level, while reports suggest he’s about to sign a new contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
In a thrilling UEFA Nations League semi-final in Munich, the 40-year-old forward netted the decisive goal, ending Portugal's 25-year winless streak against Germany. Prior to this match, Ronaldo had faced Germany five times without a single victory, making it the worst record he held against any international opponent.
The landmark goal marked Ronaldo’s 137th international goal in 220 appearances, extending his men’s world record. In total, he has now scored 937 career goals, edging ever closer to an unprecedented 1,000-goal milestone.
Ronaldo’s Turnaround Against Germany
Until this match, Ronaldo’s personal record against Germany was bleak — just one goal in five meetings over 450 minutes. With this latest strike, he now has two goals in 540 minutes against them. Ironically, while Germany had troubled him internationally, Ronaldo always shone against German clubs in the UEFA Champions League, scoring an extraordinary 28 goals in 26 games.
The win also means England now holds the record as the nation Ronaldo has faced the most without a win — three meetings, all draws. Notably, Portugal won two of those on penalties in Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.
Remarkable Numbers After 30
Since turning 30, Ronaldo has scored 85 international goals, a tally that surpasses the entire career international goal totals of legends like Ferenc Puskas, Pele, Diego Maradona, and Gerd Muller — as well as modern stars like Neymar and Harry Kane.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez praised Ronaldo’s relentless drive, saying:
"It's difficult to put into words. He takes each day as an opportunity to get better. When you have success, you wake up with less hunger — but not Cristiano."
Teammate Bernardo Silva added:
"He's been doing this for over 20 years. It's not easy to stay this hungry every day, but he's here, scoring again."
Contract Extension with Al-Nassr
Following this summer’s UEFA Nations League final against either France or Spain, attention will turn to Ronaldo’s club future. While many believed his time at Al-Nassr had ended after a cryptic social media post saying "This chapter is over. The story? Still being written.", fresh reports now indicate that Ronaldo is on the verge of signing a new contract.
According to multiple sources, Ronaldo will renew with Al-Nassr until 2027, when he’ll be 42 — keeping him in Saudi Arabia’s Pro League for at least two more seasons.
The Race to 1,000 Goals
With 937 career goals to his name and having netted 35 times for Al-Nassr last season, Ronaldo is now just 63 goals away from becoming the first player in football history to officially reach 1,000 goals in recognised senior matches.
Though football icons Pele and Romario claimed to have passed that milestone, their tallies included unofficial matches. If Ronaldo maintains his current scoring rate, he could potentially hit the 1,000 mark within the next two years.
Stay tuned with Daily News 24/7 for all the latest on Cristiano Ronaldo, the Nations League final, and transfer market updates.
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