Cristiano Ronaldos Game-Winner Sends Portugal to UEFA Nations League Final

Portugal is heading to the UEFA Nations League final for the second time in four years, thanks in large part to the foot of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar scored the game-winner in Wednesday's semifinal match against Germany, propelling Portugal to a 2-1 victory and securing a spot in the final.

The win is Portugal's first against Germany since 2000, and it puts the team in position to win a second Nations League title after their inaugural victory in 2019. Portugal will now face the winner of Thursday's other semifinal between Spain and France in the final, which will take place on Sunday.

In Wednesday's match, Germany struck first with a header by Florian Wirtz in the 48th minute to give them a 1-0 lead. Portugal then tied the game in the 63rd minute with a goal from Francisco Conceição from the top of the box, setting up Ronaldo's heroics just minutes later.

With the game tied at 1-1 in the 68th minute, Portugal's Nuno Mendes attacked from the left side of the box and sent a pass to the center of the goal box that Ronaldo one-timed past goaltender Marc-André ter Stegen. From there, Germany did not get another shot on goal as Portugal held on to advance to the final.

The Nations League was established in 2018 by UEFA as a European competition with stakes in some of the years in which the quadrennial European Championship doesn't take place. It takes place every two years, and Portugal has already won the first competition in 2019, followed by Italy in 2021 and Netherlands in 2023.

With Ronaldo leading the way, Portugal is poised to make another run for glory in the Nations League final. The team will be looking to repeat their success from 2019 and bring home another title for their fans to celebrate.