"I'm speechless" "Aging like a fine wine" - Fans react as Cristiano Ronaldo scores stunning overhead kick goal for Portugal against Poland
Fans on X have waxed lyrical about Cristiano Ronaldo after he scored a stunning overhead kick goal for Portugal in their 5-1 win against Poland. The two sides clashed in the UEFA Nations League on Friday, November 15.
Ronaldo produced a worthy man-of-the-match performance against Poland. The 39-year-old bagged two goals and an assist as A Selecao secured a ticket to the next round of the Nations League.
After a goalless first half, Portugal took the lead in the 59th minute through Rafael Leao. Ronaldo scored a Panenka-esque penalty in the 72nd minute to double his side’s lead. Bruno Fernandes extended Portugal’s advantage in the 80th minute before Ronaldo assisted Pedro Neto to make the scoreline 4-0.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner added the icing on the cake by scoring a sublime overhead kick to make it 5-0 in the 87th minute. He connected perfectly to a Vitinha’s cross near the far post, before running towards the corner flag to perform his iconic ‘siu’ celebration.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals against Poland were his 909th and 910th career goals. Fans were amazed by Ronaldo’s ability to score such an acrobatic goal despite being 39.
Check out some of the reactions on X:
“He's 40 years old and doing bicycle kicks...I'm speechless,” a fan wrote.
“Aging like a fine wine— what a man!!!” another fan commented.
“Class is forever. What a player,” a third fan hailed Ronaldo.
“Reminder that Cristiano Ronaldo is 39 years old,” one user posted.
“Absolutely unnecessary. Just showing off” one fan seemed to take a dig at the Portuguese legend after his goal.
Overall, Ronaldo performed outstandingly against Poland. He had two shots on target from five attempts, completed two dribbles, and recorded an 82 percent pass accuracy. He also won six of seven ground duels he contested during the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal book UEFA Nations League quarter-final place
Following their 5-1 win over Poland, Portugal have qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League. The victory saw the 2019 Nations League winners emerge as group winners following Croatia’s 1-0 loss to Scotland on Friday.
Portugal have 13 points from five matches, while Croatia are second with seven points. Poland and Scotland, with four points each, are third and fourth, respectively.
Cristiano Ronaldo will hope to lead A Selecao to another major international trophy after their last triumph in 2019. They will round up their group-stage fixtures with an away clash with Croatia on Monday, November 18.