midfielder Bernardo Silva praised Cristiano Ronaldo‘s ‘hunger’ after the 40-year-old striker continued to defy the years with a 68th-minute winner which booked a spot in Sunday’s Nations League final.
In May, the Portuguese posted on social media “the chapter is over” as reports emerged he could switch to another club, potentially Saudi side Al Hilal, in order to play the Club World Cup in the USA in June.
Bernardo Silva
But he left behind all the speculation as he knocked in his 137th international goal, extending his own record in his 220th game for Portugal. Ronaldo had missed a few half chances but after Francisco Conceicao had levelled after Florian Wirtz had put ahead early in the second half, he was on the spot to tap in a Nuno Mendes pass which put Portugal on track for victory. “It’s his ambition to keep going,” Silva said of his long-time teammate. “It’s never easy — I don’t know how old he is, I think he’s like 40 — to still be hungry to go every day.”