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Ronaldo still plays well at the age of 40. |
But this time, it wasn't about a team, it was about a man. Cristiano Ronaldo, at 40, did what only legends can do: lift the national cup for the third time in his career and turn his tears into an immortal symbol of pride.
The old generation has not retreated, the successor cannot surpass it.
In the Nations League final between Portugal and Spain, Ronaldo did not play the full 90 minutes, was not the player who touched the ball the most on the pitch, but was the most decisive player. In the 61st minute, from a seemingly unremarkable situation, he chose the right position, fired a cool shot to tie the score 2-2 for Portugal.
It was his 138th international goal, and his eighth in nine Nations League games this season – an extraordinary tally for a player plying his trade in Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo was then substituted in the 88th minute, but his spirit was still present in every step of his teammates. The image of CR7 crying after the fateful penalty shootout was not only a picture of emotion, but also the final declaration of a king: "I have all the titles at club level, but nothing compares to winning for my country".
The Ronaldo-Yamal story was once portrayed by the media as a transition between two generations. On one side was the 40-year-old superstar, on the other was the 17-year-old emerging prodigy of La Roja. But in the end, only one person decided the final. And that was still Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Ronaldo is still the captain of Portugal. |
Yamal had been brilliant in the semi-finals, tormenting the French defence, but was completely locked down in the title race. More than once, Ronaldo himself dropped back to defend, directly taking the ball away from the young player hailed as the future of Spanish football. In theory, CR7 only touched the ball 22 times, but each time was a highlight in the tactical picture - subtle, effective and sharp.
This is also the first victory of coach Roberto Martinez at the national team level - a special achievement after he was doubted for his failure with the golden generation of the Belgian team. And the person who "saved" Martinez, is none other than Ronaldo.
Since Martinez took over Portugal after the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo has been given absolute trust and has responded with one of the most impressive scoring performances of any coach he has ever coached. Therefore, the rumors that the Portuguese Football Federation wants to replace him with Mourinho or Jorge Jesus are now meaningless. How can you remove a coach who has just led the team to the top of Europe with Ronaldo at the center of the strategy?
When glory becomes the ultimate mission
The Nations League does not have the stature of the World Cup or Euro, but for Ronaldo, each title with the national flag is valuable as an affirmation: age cannot hinder faith and passion.
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Portugal still needs Ronaldo at the 2026 World Cup. |
In a place where Spain was once considered the symbol of modern football, Ronaldo himself has delivered a wake-up call to “La Roja”. Not with speed, not with physical strength, but with an understanding of the game, with an ability to sense space and time – the kind of things that only come when you have been at the top for two decades.
People may call Ronaldo “old”. But his “old” is the solidity of a monument, the age that any player dreams of reaching: where every step is a chapter in history, every goal is a legacy.
If this is the end of Ronaldo's international career, it will be a glorious one. If not, the next chapter - at the 2026 World Cup - promises to be the stage for the king to step into the spotlight once again.
Source: https://znews.vn/ronaldo-cham-het-hay-dau-cham-lung-post1559403.html
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