BARCELONA, Spain — Cristiano Ronaldo achieved a remarkable milestone by scoring his 133rd international goal, further solidifying his record, as Portugal secured a 3-1 victory against Poland in the Nations League on Saturday. Meanwhile, Spain clinched a narrow 1-0 win over Denmark with a late goal.
The 39-year-old Ronaldo was quick to react in the 37th minute, capitalizing on a rebound after Rafael Leão’s shot hit the post. This followed Bernardo Silva’s opening goal, which came in the 26th minute, bringing the score to 2-0.
After not scoring during five matches at the recent European Championship, resulting in Portugal’s quarterfinal exit, Ronaldo has now found the net in three consecutive Nations League games, having previously scored in victories over Croatia and Scotland.
Portugal’s coach, Roberto Martínez, opted to substitute Ronaldo for Diogo Jota with just under 30 minutes remaining in the match. Poland’s Piotr Zielinski managed to reduce the deficit in the 78th minute, but disaster struck for the hosts when defender Jan Bednarek inadvertently scored an own goal just two minutes before the final whistle.
Despite the efforts of Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, who teamed up with Karol Swiderski, the Polish offense was unable to penetrate the strong Portuguese defense.
With this latest win, Portugal remains at the top of Group A1, accumulating nine points from three matches. Croatia follows closely in second place with six points after overcoming Scotland 2-1, a match that saw Scotland have a goal disallowed in the closing stages by VAR. Poland currently has three points, while Scotland is yet to secure any.
Zubimendi Impresses in Rodri’s Absence
Martín Zubimendi emerged as a standout player for Spain, stepping in for the injured Rodri to help dismantle Denmark’s defense. The Real Sociedad midfielder struck a powerful volley in the 79th minute, sending a rebound from outside the area past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who was unable to stop the shot despite getting a hand to it.
Zubimendi had previously made a significant impact in the Euro 2024 final when he took over for Rodri in the second half, contributing to Spain’s 2-1 victory over England. Rodri is currently recovering from a severe knee injury that required ACL surgery after he was injured while playing for Manchester City last month.
Spain is also facing challenges with several key players missing, including Nico Williams and Dani Olmo, both of whom are sidelined due to minor injuries.
The defending Nations League champions, Spain, now sit with seven points in Group A4 after three matches. Denmark follows with six points, while Serbia secured four points with a 2-0 victory over Switzerland, who remains without a point.