Ronaldo breaks down in tears after Portugal beats Spain to win Nations League: Watch

Ronaldo got down on his knees, with his face against the ground, after Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties

Updated on: Jun 9, 2025, 04:13:03 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Cristiano Ronaldo got down on his knees, with his face against the ground, after Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties to win their second Nations League title on Sunday. The 40-year-old had earlier scored in a thrilling 2-2 draw in the final.

Cristiano Ronaldo breaks down after Portugal wins the Nations League (X)

Ronaldo scored his 138th international goal, an equalizer, taking Portugal to a shootout after Alvaro Morata's miss proved costly for Spain.

Soon after the final penalty was taken, CR7 knelt down and broke down in tears.

It was Ruben Neves who scored the winning penalty kick, and celebrations kicked off for Portugal at the Allianz Arena. Earlier, goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved Morata’s fourth penalty for Spain, then Neves converted his team’s fifth to seal the win.

Ronaldo's equalizer that kept Portugal in the game after Mikel Oyarzabal had given Spain a halftime lead. The Spanish winger squeezed the ball past Costa in the 45th after Pedri played him in. The deadlock was broken in the 21st minute when Martin Zubimendi tapped in to expose Portugal's fragile defence following Lamine Yamal's cross. Nuno Mendes leveled five minutes later when he drilled a low shot inside the far post.

Earlier, Kylian Mbappé led France to third place with a 2-0 win over host nation Germany in Stuttgart.

Lineups

Portugal (4-3-3, right to left): Costa (GK) — Neves, Dias, Inacio, Mendes — Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, Fernandes — Conceicao, Ronaldo, Neto

Spain (4-3-3, right to left): Simon (GK) — Mingueza, Le Normand, Huijsen, Cucurella — Pedri, Zubimendi, Ruiz — Lamine Yamal, Oyarzabal, Williams

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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