“Every day is an opportunity to be better” - Roberto Martinez makes feelings clear about Cristiano Ronaldo after he scores Portugal winner vs Germany

Portugal’s coach, Roberto Martinez, praised Cristiano Ronaldo following their 2-1 victory over Germany in the UEFA Nations League semi-finals. The 40-year-old once again demonstrated that he remains valuable on the international stage by scoring the decisive goal for his country, securing their place in the final of the competition.

After a goalless first half, Ronaldo’s 68th-minute goal was crucial for Portugal, marking their first victory over Germany in 25 years. In the post-match press conference, Martinez commended Ronaldo’s unwavering drive and influence on the team, both on and off the field.

Roberto Martinez told the media (via Ojogo.pt):

"Ronaldo is the example of someone who wants to constantly improve, wants to be strong, to be well, he is contagious for the rest of the group. Every day is an opportunity to be better."

With his goal for Portugal on Wednesday night, Cristiano Ronaldo raised his international tally to 137 goals and his overall tally to 937 goals. He is now the joint second-highest scorer (15 goals) in the Nations League alongside Serbia's Aleksandar Mitrovic.

How Cristiano Ronaldo fared for Portugal against Germany

Ronaldo truly shone as Portugal’s knight in shining armor against Germany, leading them to their second Nations League final since 2019, when they won the inaugural season. The first-time Ballon d'Or winner started in the XI and played for 89 minutes.

During the match, he achieved a passing accuracy of 87% (13/15), created one significant chance, provided one key pass, took seven shots with two on target, won two duels, had 28 touches with nine touches in the opposition’s box, and was Portugal’s highest-rated player with a score of 7.6 according to Sofascore.

In summary, the Portuguese captain was impressive on that night in Munich. Before this victory, Ronaldo had lost all five of his previous encounters with Germany. He has now netted 85 international goals since turning 30, surpassing the top scorers of Brazil (Neymar, 79), England (Harry Kane, 71), Germany (Miroslav Klose, 71), Sweden (Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 62), France (Olivier Giroud, 57), the Netherlands (Robin van Persie, 50), and Italy (Gigi Riva, 35).

Ronaldo took to social media after scoring the decisive goal, writing:

“EM FRENTE, PORTUGAL!!’” which means “Go Portugal” in English

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Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to salvage the season by winning the Nations League after yet another trophyless season with Al-Nassr. They will face the winners of the match between Spain and France in the final.

About the author

Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.

An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.

Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.

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Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer