
Ronaldo fires Portugal into Nations League final
MUNICH : Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner as Portugal fought back to beat Germany 2-1 on Wednesday and reach the Nations League final.
Germany took the lead in the 48th minute, as Florian Wirtz headed in unmarked in the box, following a pinpoint lobbed pass from Joshua Kimmich.
However, Portugal turned the match around, first equalising through substitute Francisco Conceicao in the 63rd minute, before Ronaldo tapped in five minutes later to send the visitors into the final.
Spain and France will clash in the other semi-final on Thursday to decide who will face Portugal in the decider on Sunday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Yamal made big Ballon d'Or statement against France, says De la Fuente
Lamine Yamal's match-winning performance against France in the semi-finals of the Nations League on Thursday has underlined his Ballon d'Or credentials, said Spain manager Luis de la Fuente. The 17-year-old Barcelona sensation lifted Spain to a thrilling 5-4 win over France by scoring twice, which sent the holders through to their third successive Nations League final where they will face Iberian neighbours Portugal. The contest to lift the prestigious golden ball trophy in September is widely seen as one between Yamal and France forward Ousmane Dembele, with both playing crucial roles for their clubs and countries this season. "Yamal has made a statement tonight and shown that he should win the Ballon d'Or," De la Fuente told broadcaster RTVE. "He's the best player in the world and, in my opinion, of course, he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or." The 28-year-old Dembele, a former Barcelona man, can boast of the Champions League, Ligue 1, French Cup and French Super Cup titles this campaign, while Yamal has LaLiga, Spanish Cup and Spanish Super Cup to his name. "I always say the same thing to mum, that I try to give my all," Yamal said. "That is what motivates me and what gets me up in the morning. It is why I play football. It's always best to speak on the pitch. "Dembele is a great player, we saw that in the Champions League, but I am happy that we're the ones in the final." The nominees for the 2025 edition of the Ballon d'Or award, which covers August 1-July 31, will be announced at the start of August, with the ceremony taking place on September 22. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
Lamine Yamal primed to ‘prove' himself against ‘legend' Cristiano Ronaldo in Nations League final
Spain's Lamine Yamal scored twice and was named Man of the Match in a 5-4 win over the French in Stuttgart on June 5. PHOTO: AFP Lamine Yamal primed to 'prove' himself against 'legend' Cristiano Ronaldo in Nations League final STUTTGART – Spain starlet Lamine Yamal said the Nations League final against Portugal on June 8 would give him the chance to 'prove who I am' after helping his side past France in the semis on June 5. The forward scored twice and was named Man of the Match in a 5-4 win over the French in Stuttgart, sealing progress to the title showdown against their Iberian rivals. A late French flourish – a Rayan Cherki screamer, a Spain own goal and a stoppage-time strike from Randal Kolo Muani – obscured Spain's dominance, with La Roja cruising at 5-1 before dropping their intensity. But it ultimately did not prove costly. As they did on their way to winning Euro 2024 in Germany last season, Spain's success was built on the foundation of wingers Yamal and Nico Williams. Williams, who got a goal of his own and set up another, was Man of the Match in the 2-1 Euro 2024 final win over England. The duo will be key as 2021 Nations League winners Spain now take on Portugal, who won the competition in 2019. 'It's a special game, a final against a great team gives us extra motivation,' Yamal said. 'This is the kind of game I want to play, to prove who I am. I always say it to my mother, I try to give it all. It is what motivates me to play football, why I wake up in the mornings. 'We (Spain and Portugal) are two very good teams with world-class players. The best will win. I hope to bring the Cup to Spain.' Still just 17, Yamal will face off against Portugal veteran Cristiano Ronaldo, who is 23 years his senior. 'He's a football legend,' Yamal added. 'I, like all the players, have huge respect for Cristiano. I will do my job, which is to try to win, and that's it.' Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said fans would see 'two super powerful teams' on June 8, adding that 'this could be a World Cup final'. 'We're playing against one of the greats – Cristiano Ronaldo. Just his name stands out – I have limitless admiration for him,' he said. 'It's really great to see a player at his age to keep playing and be as fit as he is. I admire him very much.' Mikel Merino, another Spanish scorer against France, was confident. 'It's not our first final,' he said. 'Munich brings us amazing memories from the European Championship. I'm very happy to be in another final which is a huge accomplishment and hopefully we can win it again.' Besides Yamal, Williams and Merino, Pedri was also on the scoresheet. Kylian Mbappe netted a second-half penalty for France, before their three late goals. 'We had some bursts of play we haven't had for a long time,' the France skipper said. 'But in just 10 minutes of the first half, we conceded two goals – and the same thing happened in the second half. We weren't consistent throughout the 90 minutes, but we did improve. When you don't win, there are always negative points that come out. But it's not all negative.' It was also the first time France had conceded five times in a match since 1969. Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps said: 'Today's match is not at all the same match that took place between us in the Euros (when Spain won 2-1). 'We had the credit and satisfaction of mastering the game. After that, it's a matter of efficiency. We conceded goals, but their goalkeeper made some good saves. They are full of confidence. 'But I repeat, we did not have all our strength. I do not forget that we were significantly behind, but we showed some good things. Against this team, you have to be at your best everywhere, that's a fact.' AFP, REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.


Independent Singapore
9 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Sabalenka and Swiatek is near the French Open finals, but one must win to continue and claim the No. 1 spot
PARIS, FRANCE: Tennis stars Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, two of WTA's top players for the past three years, will have another face-off at the French Open semifinals–their seventh clay-court match. This number is the highest between two women since Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and Conchita Martínez in the 1990s. What is it for Aryna Sabalenka? Sabalenka continued to dominate the Tour and is in strong form after defeating No. 8 Zheng Qinwen with a final scoreline of 7-6(3), 6-3. This is the athlete's seventh semifinal of the season, and her 11th Grand Slam semifinal overall–the most by any player since Sharapova at Roland Garros 14 years ago. Sabalenka embraced the World No. 1 ranking, and she remained confident and determined to go further in Paris after falling short in her previous semifinal at the event against Karolina Muchova. With this, Sabalenka admitted, 'I love tough challenges. I think these are the matches where you actually improve as a player and where you get much stronger, and I'm always excited to face someone strong and then someone who can challenge me. She added, 'I go out there and I fight, and I'm ready to leave everything I have to get the win.' Currently, Sabalenka has an outstanding Gram Slam record of 89 wins and 24 losses. She also has a winning percentage of .788, coming second to Swiatek's .830. Sabalenka is clearly ready and believes that this is her moment. What is it for Iga Swiatek? Iga Swiatek, being the three-time defending champion, has been feeling a lot of pressure as an athlete. However, she made an impressive comeback against Elena Rybakina, and she also defeated Elina Svitolina with a final scoreline of 6-1, 7-5. The results of these two matches showed that she remains resilient and dedicated to reaching her goals for this season. She made an impressive comeback against Elena Rybakina and also defeated Elina Svitolina with a final scoreline of 6-1, 7-5. Swiatek successfully finished her 26th win at the French Open, with three aces consecutively to end the match. In her last match with Aryna Sabalenka, Sabalenka won at the Cincinnati semifinals with a 6-3, 6-3. However, Swiatek admitted that the results did not matter anymore as it happened a long time ago. Swiatek expressed: 'For sure you need to be 100 percent… and you need to be there, but I wouldn't say it's different against Coco or against good players overall… But for sure, our rivalry is pushing both of us, I think, but it's not only about the level of tennis. It's about like everything, how we work, and how professional we are.' Swiatek has won 40 of her 42 matches at Roland-Garros. The athlete is now hoping for her four-time French Open title, and she is committed to winning going into this match. The question now is: Will Swiatek be successful in winning her fourth consecutive French Open title? Or will Sabalenka break this streak as she has now reached the semifinals once again? See also Netball: Singapore confident of defending Nations Cup crown