Cristiano Ronaldo finally beats Germany! What is next in the 1000 goals quest

Cristiano Ronaldo, a player who seemingly has achieved every possible feat in football, has finally conquered one of his last remaining challenges: beating Germany at international level. His decisive winner in the Nations League semi-final in Munich not only extended his astonishing record goal tally but also ended a lengthy and frustrating wait against a familiar foe.

At 40 years old, Ronaldo’s goal was his 137th for Portugal in 220 caps, bringing his total career strikes to a staggering 937. All three figures stand as men's records in the sport. Until this recent victory, Germany represented the team against whom Ronaldo had the worst international record, having lost all five previous encounters. Portugal's last win against Germany dated back to Euro 2000, making this 5-1 turnaround from his personal record a significant breakthrough.

This triumph means England now holds the distinction of being the country Ronaldo has faced most often without a win (three matches, all draws). However, this comes with a considerable caveat: Portugal emerged victorious from two of those "draws" in penalty shootouts during the Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup quarter-finals. Beyond Germany, France stands as the nation Ronaldo has suffered the most defeats against, with four losses, though his Portugal side famously beat France in the Euro 2016 final.

Ronaldo's scoring record against Germany was also notably poor, with just one goal in five previous meetings spanning 450 minutes. His recent strike now brings that tally to two goals in 540 minutes (averaging a goal every 270 minutes). Ironically, it is against German clubs in the Champions League where Ronaldo has historically excelled, boasting an incredible 28 goals in 26 games.

Since turning 30, Ronaldo has defied expectations by scoring an astounding 85 goals for Portugal. To put this into perspective, only five other players in history have ever surpassed that international goal total in their entire careers. This means that in the latter half of his international journey, Ronaldo has outscored legends like Ferenc Puskas, Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Gerd Müller, as well as contemporary stars such as Neymar and Harry Kane, across their respective full international careers.

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez praised his talisman: "It's difficult to put into words. He takes each day as an opportunity to get better. As a human, when you have success, you wake up and you have less hunger. But not Cristiano." His international teammate, Bernardo Silva, echoed this sentiment: "It's his ambition to keep going. It's never easy - 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."

Where next for Ronaldo?

Following Sunday's Nations League final against either France or Spain, both of whom will contest their semi-final on Thursday in Stuttgart, Cristiano Ronaldo's club future remains somewhat uncertain. He has spent the past two and a half years with Saudi club Al-Nassr, and his current contract is set to expire this summer. After Al-Nassr's final game of the season, Ronaldo posted on social media: "This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all." This statement led many to believe he was departing the Saudi club, with Brazilian side Botafogo heavily linked as a potential destination, and even discussions from FIFA president Gianni Infantino about Ronaldo potentially playing in the Club World Cup this summer with another team. However, multiple media outlets are now reporting that Ronaldo is likely to sign a new contract with Al-Nassr, which would keep him at the club until he is 42.

Can Ronaldo reach 1,000 goals?

The tantalizing prospect of Cristiano Ronaldo reaching an unprecedented 1,000 career goals is now closer than ever. He needs just 63 more strikes to become the first recognized player to achieve this monumental feat. While Brazilian legends Pelé and Romário both claimed to have surpassed 1,000 goals, their tallies included numerous unofficial matches and friendlies, meaning their figures are not widely recognized by official record-keeping bodies. Given that Ronaldo scored 35 goals for Al-Nassr last season, maintaining a similar scoring rate would see him hit the 1,000-goal landmark in less than two years.