Cristiano Ronaldo has always been sure of Portugal’s chances of moving on to the semifinals of the Nations Championship, even after an early lost sentence in their match against Denmark on Sunday.
The Captain of Portugal had his spot was refused by Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, but saw his team gather a 5-2 dominant victory in Lisbon.
Portugal ended up securing a 5-3 overall victory and recorded their position in the Final Four, where they will face Germany.
“I felt that even after the loss of the sentence – (happens) only to those who are trying – we will move on to the tie,” Ronaldo told reporters.
“This happened. It was a spectacular night. Portugal played very well, scoring five goals against Denmark is not easy at all.
“We all deserve congratulations: the players, those on the pitch, all the Portuguese, we are all on the same boat and it was very important to move on to the last four.”
What a night, Portugal! 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/ea8m6ehi8o
– Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) 23 March 2025
Ronaldo, the top scorer of the target in international football with 136 goals, also scores the world record for the most international appearances at 219.
He was quickly redeemed for the lost penalty, offsetting Portugal’s second goal for the game.
The veteran in front was openly critical of his team’s appearance in the first leg, where he suffered a 1-0 defeat in Denmark in Copenhagen. However, he was quick to encourage his teammates to bounce back.
“There are such games, there are bad days,” said Ronaldo, 40, after this defeat. “I didn’t play at all, the team didn’t play at all, but it’s part of life. I want to leave the Alvalade (Lisbon’s) stage with my head high.”
Portugal certainly did that exactly on Sunday, with Francisco Trincao scoring twice and Gonçalo Ramos adding another time to seal the victory.
As 2019 Nations League champions, Portugal continues to show their strength under coach Roberto Martinez, winning 20 of their 28 matches, suffered only four defeats.
But the semifinals will be a much tougher test, especially after Germany’s demolition of Italy.
