Portugal reaches UEFA Nations League final
Portugal won the inaugural edition in 2019 and now seeks a second title in the 2025 final.
Portugal completed a dramatic comeback to defeat Germany 2-1 in Munich and advance to the UEFA Nations League final.
The victory was powered by a stunning equalizer from Francisco Conceição and a historic 137th international goal from 40-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, who sealed the win in the 68th minute.
Germany started strong, dominating possession and threatening with long-range shots, while Portugal struggled to find their rhythm in the first half.
Roberto MartÃnez raised eyebrows with his starting lineup, benching newly crowned European champion Vitinha and assigning João Neves, a midfielder by trade, to the right side of defense.
The first half saw the home side controlling the tempo, but the breakthrough came early in the second half.
The hosts took the lead early in the second half when Florian Wirtz, reportedly on the verge of a £109 million move to Liverpool, headed in a clever lobbed pass from Joshua Kimmich, who was earning his 100th international cap.
Portugal protested the goal, arguing that German debutant Nick Woltemade had blocked Rúben Dias, but after a VAR review, the goal stood.
Down a goal, MartÃnez made key substitutions: Rúben Neves, João Neves, and Francisco Trincão were replaced by Vitinha, Nélson Semedo, and Francisco Conceição.
The latter, a young FC Porto winger, became the catalyst for Portugal’s comeback.
Moments later, Portugal turned the game around.
In the 63rd minute, Conceição received the ball on the right, cut inside past several defenders, and curled a stunning shot into the top corner, leaving Marc-André Ter Stegen with no chance.
Just five minutes later, the turnaround was complete. Bruno Fernandes launched a powerful run and found Nuno Mendes on the left, who then squared the ball for Cristiano Ronaldo to tap in the winning goal.
Portugal, winners of the inaugural Nations League in 2019, now await the outcome of Thursday’s second semi-final between France and Spain, with the final scheduled for 20:00 (PT time) on Sunday in Munich.
This victory is especially symbolic: it marks Portugal’s first competitive win over Germany since Euro 2000, when Conceição’s father, Sérgio Conceição, famously scored a hat-trick.
Now, 25 years later, his son has helped write a new chapter in Portuguese football history.
What’s the UEFA Nations League?
The UEFA Nations League, introduced in 2018, is a tournament designed to replace international friendlies with more competitive matches between European national teams.
Countries are divided into leagues and groups based on their rankings, creating balanced and engaging matchups.
The top-tier League A features a finals stage, including semi-finals and a final to determine the champion.