Ronaldo 938 goals + European League champion! The suspense of the Golden Globes ends?

At the Lisbon Light Stadium on June 9, 2025, Portugal and Spain contributed a classic showdown to fans around the world that has been recorded in the history of the European League.

In this 120-minute fierce battle and penalty shootout, Portugal finally defeated the defending champion 7-5 with a total score, becoming the first team to win the championship twice in the history of the event.

40-year-old Ronaldo scored a key equalizer in the 61st minute of the final. This was the first time his national team scored in the finals in his career, and also increased the total number of goals in his personal career to 938 goals.

Although Spain has an advantage in the field with a 61% possession rate and 16 shots, Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa's brave performance in the penalty shootout ended the Bullfighter Legion's unbeaten record since March 2023.

Technical statistics show that Portugal has shown extremely high efficiency in a disadvantaged situation.

The ball possession rate of only 39% in the game was 102 attacks. Left-back Nuno Mendes not only scored the national team's first goal, but also locked Spanish star Yamal with a 12.3-kilometer run, 4 successful passes and a 34km/h sprint speed.

Although Spanish midfielder Pedri maintained an 89% pass success rate and provided assists, the team missed 10 shots and Morata's penalty kicks, making the Bullfighters missed the opportunity to become the first defending European League champion.

It is worth mentioning that the attacking firepower of 25 goals in 10 games in Spain has set a record in the European League, and Oyasabal even scored 3 finals and became the final scorer of the team history competition.

This victory is of great significance to Ronaldo.

Since the 2021 Italian Cup, the five-time Golden Globe winner has experienced Manchester United turmoil and Saudi League championship drought, and finally broke the four-year no-champion curse with the European League championship at the age of 40.

His performance in 9 games of this event was not only won the Golden Boot of the A-level League, but also became the first player to score 3 goals for the European national team after the age of 40.

After the game, the camera captured Ronaldo's tears, forming a time and space echo with the crying boy in the 2004 European Cup - in 21 years, he led Portugal from the regret of the "golden generation" to the glory of the two European Leagues and one European Cup.

Spain's youthful reform is also worthy of respect. Although the 17-year-old Yamal performed silently in the final, he contributed 18 goals and 25 assists to Barcelona throughout the season. His performance against France twice in the semi-finals has shown his superstar potential. The pass control system created by coach Dela Fuente has achieved a 92% pass success rate in this tournament, and the new generation of midfielders such as Zubimendi and Pedri have perfectly taken over the mantle of the Busquets era.

As the UEFA technical report pointed out, this final marks the transfer of power in Iberian football - Ronaldo uses his experience to write the end of the legend, while Yamals start a new technological revolution. The competitive landscape of the Golden Globe Awards has a new variable due to this final.

Dembele (1.44) tied for the top odds before the game and switched positions with Yamal (2.75). The Paris winger consolidated his advantage by relying on the Champions League championship foundation, while Portuguese midfielder Vitinia jumped to third with an odds of 13.0. However, UEFA officially awarded the final MVP to Nuno Mendes. The 22-year-old defender proved with his performance of offense and defense that contemporary football advocates all-round fighters rather than personal heroism.

From a tactical perspective, Portuguese coach Martinez's on-the-spot adjustment is a textbook example.

When Spain led twice through Pedri Oyasabal's connection, he decisively changed the lineup to release the impact of the wing, and Mendes and Ronaldo completed a fatal connection.

Although Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon's success rate is as high as 83%, the "not moving" strategy of the penalty shootout has proved to be a double-edged sword - this is the fourth defeat in Spain's penalties in the last five international competitions. The far-reaching impact of this final is fermenting.

Portuguese surpassed France and rose to second in the FIFA standings with this victory, laying a psychological advantage for the 2026 World Cup. Spain's record 25 European League goals indicate the possibility of passing football in the era of efficiency.

When Ronaldo and Pedri embraced each other after the game, the two generations of stars interpreted the most moving inheritance of football with their actions - there is no eternal victory or defeat, only the unremitting pursuit of excellence.

As UEFA President Cheferin said: "This game shows us that the charm of football is always its unpredictability and never giving up."