Captain Cristiano Ronaldo came on as a substitute and scored the decisive goal to help the home team beat Scotland 2-1 in the UEFA Nations League.

*Scorers: Fernandes 54′, Ronaldo 88′ – McTominay 7′.

With the score at 1-1 in the 88th minute, left-back Nuno Mendes crossed the ball past the entire Scottish defence for Ronaldo to dive in and tap the ball into an empty net. The 39-year-old striker pointed to his chest as he ran to the corner of the pitch to dance and celebrate.

In the stands, hundreds of fans also jumped in sync with the Portuguese captain.

Ronaldo celebrates his 88th-minute goal to help Portugal beat Scotland 2-1 at Da Luz Stadium, Lisbon, in the second round of Group 1, Division A Nations League on the evening of September 8, 2024. Photo: Reuters.

It was the second game in three days that Ronaldo scored the decisive goal to help Portugal win 2-1 in the Nations League. The Al Nassr striker surpassed the 900-goal mark in his career. “Two games, two wins,” he wrote on X, without mentioning his individual goals. “Thank you everyone for your support.”

It was the second game in three days that Ronaldo scored the decisive goal to help Portugal win 2-1 in the Nations League. The Al Nassr striker surpassed the 900-goal mark in his career. “Two games, two wins,” he wrote on X, without mentioning his individual goals. “Thank you everyone for your support.”

Ronaldo also continued to increase his record of 132 goals for a national team, after 214 matches, although he only came on at the beginning of the second half to replace Pedro Neto. This was the first time the Portuguese captain had been on the bench in an official match, since the 2022 World Cup quarter-final against Morocco. However, he still appeared comfortable, smiling and hugging a few fans before the match.

Portugal’s optimism was soon dented when Scott McTominay headed Scotland ahead in the seventh minute, from a cross from midfielder Kenny McLean on the left.

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It was not until early in the second half that the hosts equalised, when Bruno Fernandes fired a one-touch left-foot shot from outside the box into the bottom right corner from Rafael Leao’s cross. Goalkeeper Angus Gunn got a hand to the ball but could not clear it.

Ronaldo’s decisive goal. Photo: Reuters.

The equalizer helped the Da Luz stadium explode, allowing the home team to create a series of opportunities. In the 78th minute, Ronaldo backheeled for Joao Felix to rush down and face him, but his shot hit Gunn’s leg and bounced off. Four minutes later, Ronaldo hit the post twice in a row, first with a rebound, then with a header to the left.

The former Real Madrid striker showed no signs of being upset at missing out, only to celebrate the decisive goal a few minutes later. All three of the scorers have either worn or are currently captaining Man Utd for at least a few games. But only two enjoyed the joy of victory.

After two matches, Portugal won all, reaching the top of Group 1, all thanks to the “Red Devils” factors of Diogo Dalot, Fernandes and Ronaldo. Meanwhile, Scotland ranked last with two consecutive losses.

At the same time Ronaldo scored at Da Luz Stadium, 39-year-old midfielder Luka Modric scored the only goal from a free kick to help Croatia beat visiting team Poland 1-0, also in Group 1. The result helped both teams have three points after two matches in Group A of the Nations League.

In the third round on October 12, Portugal will visit Poland, while Scotland will meet Croatia in Zagreb.