Cristiano Ronaldo had the perfect response to Germany fans chanting Lionel Messi’s name at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night. Despite both halves of football’s greatest duopoly now playing outside Europe – and effectively out of the Ballon d’Or conversation – the rivalry still follows them wherever they go.
Fans continue to hold on to the golden era of El Clasico, where Ronaldo and Messi featured for Real Madrid and Barcelona. Since moving to Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo has often found Messi’s name echoing around stadiums, but he didn’t seem fazed this time. Instead, he let his football do the talking as Portugal came from behind to seal a 2-1 win over Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany and book their place in the Nations League final.
The final will be held at the same venue on June 8, with Ronaldo now just one step away from lifting the trophy for a second time, having already won the inaugural edition in 2019. He’ll face either Spain or France, who meet in the second semi-final on Thursday.
Ronaldo’s Reaction To Messi Chants During Nations League
The Portuguese icon had the coldest response
Germany fans may have taunted Ronaldo a little too soon on Wednesday night. After Liverpool target Florian Wirtz opened the scoring with a clever one-two and a deft header past Manuel Neuer, the Allianz Arena seemed to try to get under the 40-year-old’s skin just as much as they were celebrating their team taking the lead.
It all backfired in the second-half when quickfire goals from Francisco Conceicao and Ronaldo himself completed a comeback victory with time to spare. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid icon was seen joining in on the chants before silencing the Germans. Watch the moment below:
| Cristiano Ronaldo’s match statistics vs Germany | |
|---|---|
| Minutes played | 89 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Shots on target | 2/3 |
| Accurate passes | 13/15 (87%) |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Big chances missed | 3 |
| Ground duels won | 2/4 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
Ronaldo’s goal marked his 137th for Portugal, further cementing his status as international football’s all-time leading goalscorer. Remarkably, 85 of those goals have come since he turned 30 – more than the total career tallies of the all-time top scorers for England, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Brazil.
While his international form shows no signs of slowing, his club future remains uncertain. Ronaldo recently hinted at a possible departure from Al-Nassr, with Manchester United, Sporting, and several MLS clubs reportedly interested, as well as some Club World Cup participants.
