Portugal Praise Veteran Ronaldo’s ‘Hunger’ After Nations League Win

Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva lauded Cristiano Ronaldo’s relentless “hunger” following the 40-year-old striker’s decisive 68th-minute goal that secured Portugal’s place in Sunday’s Nations League final.

Ronaldo arrived at the tournament amid speculation over his club future, with his contract at Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr set to expire at the end of June.

In May, the forward cryptically posted “the chapter is over” on social media as rumours swirled about a potential move to Saudi rivals Al Hilal, possibly to compete in the upcoming Club World Cup in the United States.

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Putting doubts aside, Ronaldo extended his record by scoring his 137th international goal during his 220th appearance for Portugal.

Although he missed several early chances, the veteran striker capitalised on a precise Nuno Mendes pass to net the winner, following Francisco Conceicao’s equaliser after Germany’s Florian Wirtz had opened the scoring early in the second half.

Portugal Praise Veteran Ronaldo’s ‘Hunger’ After Nations League Win

Silva praised Ronaldo’s enduring ambition: “It’s his ambition to keep going. It’s never easy — I don’t know how old he is; I think he’s like 40 — to still be hungry to go every day. He’s been doing this for more than 20 years. It’s tough, but he’s here with us, and we’re happy he scored again.”

This victory marked Ronaldo’s first over Germany after five consecutive defeats, with Portugal’s previous win against the Germans dating back to 2000.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez echoed Silva’s sentiments, highlighting Ronaldo’s exceptional desire for continuous improvement.

“It’s difficult to put into words. He takes each day as an opportunity to get better,” Martinez said. “As a human, when you have success, you wake up and you have less hunger. But not Cristiano.”

Even Germany’s coach, Julian Nagelsmann, praised Ronaldo’s professionalism, crediting it for his remarkable longevity.

“He is investing everything in his body, from sleep to nutrition to the intensity of his training, so that everything doesn’t hurt as much as it should at 40.”

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