Portugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo shed tears of joy as they won their second Nations League title on Sunday, insisting that winning trophies with his country beats all club honors.
Ronaldo’s 138th international goal in the second half took the final to penalties after a 2-2 draw with Spain, with the substituted 40-year-old forward looking on from the sidelines as Portugal netted all five spot kicks to claim the title.
The triumph, which left the five-time Champions League winner in tears, was Ronaldo’s third on the international stage, accompanying his 2016 European Championship and 2019 Nations League winners’ medals.
“What a joy,” Ronaldo told Sport TV. “First of all for this generation, which deserved a title of this magnitude, for our families. My children came here, my wife, my brother, my friends.
“Winning for Portugal is always special. I have many titles with clubs, but nothing is better than winning for Portugal. It’s tears. It’s duty done and a lot of joy.
“When you talk about Portugal it is always a special feeling. Being captain of this generation is a source of pride. Winning a title is always the pinnacle in a national team.”
Ronaldo’s future remains uncertain. He said last week he did not plan to play at the Club World Cup in the United States, which starts later this month, despite being courted by clubs taking part in the 32-team tournament.
The Al Nassr forward said he had several offers from other teams to play in the U.S., while Al Nassr sporting director Fernando Hierro said last month the team is negotiating with Ronaldo over a contract extension but faced competition from clubs eager to sign the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
For now, however, he is focused on celebrating his latest triumph, having played in the final with an injury.
“I had already felt it during the warmup, I had been feeling it for some time, but for the national team, if I had to break my leg, I would have broken it,” Ronaldo said. “It’s for a trophy, I had to play and I gave it my all.
“It’s for our nation. We are a small people, but with a very big ambition. The future is short term. Now is the time to rest well. I had the injury and that was the maximum, the maximum.
“I pushed, because for the national team you have to push.”
Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this story.