Cristiano Ronaldo extends international goal tally as Portugal thrash Poland

Portuguese football legend scores again in his national team's third straight Nations League win in this year's campaign

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AFP
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Web Desk
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Portugals Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after winning UEFA Nations League match against Poland at PGE Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland on October 12, 2024. — Reuters
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after winning UEFA Nations League match against Poland at PGE Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland on October 12, 2024. — Reuters

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo shined once again on the field after scoring yet another goal for his national team as they beat Poland 3-1 for their third straight Nations League win on Saturday.

Bernardo Silva volleyed Portugal ahead in the 26th minute in Warsaw as Bruno Fernandes cleverly nodded a cross from Ruben Neves back towards the Manchester City midfielder.

Ronaldo then found himself in the right place at the right time to turn in the rebound for Portugal's second after Rafael Leao's shot came back off the post following a brilliant surging run by the AC Milan winger.

With his latest goal, the 39-year-old Al Nassr striker has now struck in all three games of this Nations League campaign for Portugal, taking his record men's international goals tally to 133.

Jan Bednarek's own goal sealed victory for Portugal, the lone remaining team in League A with a 100% record, and they could secure a place in the quarter-finals next week, AFP reported.

"We worked very hard the last few days, preparing various solutions for this game, and we were able to show it on the pitch. I am really satisfied because we controlled this game," said Portugal coach Roberto Martinez.

"We played great as a team."

Meanwhile, the five-time Ballon d'Or award winner celebrated his national team's victory with a social media post,featuring a series of snaps from the match.

In the Instagram post, the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star wrote: "Important win in the Nations League. Thanks for everyone's support, let's go all out!"

Additionally, in an Instagram Story update, Ronaldo shared a screenshot of his message on his broadcast channel on the Meta-owned photo and video-sharing app, which read: "We felt your support on the pitch. Thank you for helping us win today!"