‘Hope Cristiano Ronaldo reaches 1000 goals but doesn't score in Nations League final,' says Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon
Spain goalkeeper is all in for the day Cristiano Ronaldo reaches a 1000 career goals, but isn't keen on watching one on Sunday night when his side goes up against Portugal in the UEFA Nations League 2025 final in Munich.
The Iberian rivalry will be rekindled on a grand stage when the tournament's inaugural winners, Portugal, face defending champions Spain in the summit clash for the edition. Running riot on the back of their young band of superstars, including 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, Spain made the final after fending off France in a frenetic 5-4 thriller.
Meanwhile, it was Ronaldo who once again wrote the headlines for Portugal as he steered a comeback victory for the Portuguese, six years after having shone in the first edition of the Nations League. Ronaldo's 68th-minute winner over Germany placed them in a third major final, with the 40-year-old's career goal tally making an overwhelming presence with every passing goal these days.
'He's an example of everyday life, of sacrificing many things for football. I don't see myself at Cristiano's level at 40. I hope he reaches 1000 goals … but I hope he doesn't score any this Sunday,' said Simon as Ronaldo sets up for his 10th meeting against Spain at the Allianz Arena.
Ronaldo's career tally has swelled to 937 goals in his career, 137 of those being scored in a Portugal shirt. Interestingly, only three of those have troubled Spain in the past. CR7 bagged them all on a single evening in Sochi in the 2018 World Cup when his stellar hat-trick denied a Spanish victory.
Speaking on the eve of the final, Ronaldo insisted that the match isn't about a showdown of two generations between him and Spain's Yamal. Interestingly, Portugal haven't beaten Spain in a competitive game in 21 years since Euro 2004 in a game where a then-17-year-old Ronaldo started.
'There are different generations, one is coming in, and another is exiting the stage. If you want to see me as another generation, then that's ok,' said Ronaldo.
'When you talk about a clash between Cristiano and someone else, that's not how it works. The media always try to hype things up, which is a normal thing, but it's one team versus another team.'
'You've been talking about Lamine a lot, and you're right to do so because he's very good,' Ronaldo told journalists, adding, 'but I'd like to talk about the team.
'They've got Nico Williams, great midfielders like Pedri, and their coach (Luis) de la Fuente is very good, very strong, very disciplined.'
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