Portugal defeated Spain in the penalties 5-3 in the final of the UEFA Nations League on Sunday. It turned out to be the third international trophy for Cristiano Ronaldo in his illustrious career and the second UEFA Nations League title. Even as Ronaldo burst into tears following his team's title win, it has also been revealed that the superstar player turned up for the summit clash with an injury before eventually being substituted in the 88th minute.
Ronaldo had to walk off in the dying moments of the match due to a muscle strain. After the match, he revealed that he took the field only for the national team despite feeling the strain during the warmup. The 40-year-old showed his commitment towards the nation, saying that he would've even broken his leg to play for Portugal.
"I had already felt it during the warmup, I had been feeling it for some time, but for the national team, if I had to break my leg, I would have broken it. It's for a trophy, I had to play and I gave it my all. It's for our nation. We are a small people, but with a very big ambition. The future is short-term. Now is the time to rest well. I had the injury, and that was the maximum, the maximum.
"I pushed, because for the national team you have to push," Ronaldo said while speaking to Sport TV after the match. Moreover, the superstar player didn't just take the field for the sake of it. He scored the 138th goal of his career in the 61st minute, which also helped Portugal make it 2-2, having conceded the second goal at the stroke of half time. The goal eventually helped them take the final into the penalties where Portugal held their nerve and lifted the trophy in the end.