On Thursday, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal, leading Portugal to a 2-1 win against Croatia in the UEFA Nations League match in Lisbon. This significant achievement came as the 39-year-old superstar converted a precise cross from Nuno Mendes in the 34th minute, securing his position as one of football’s all-time greats.

Ronaldo’s recent frustrations from Euro 2024, where he struggled to find the back of the net, appeared to melt away as he celebrated his milestone. His jubilant expression conveyed the weight of the accomplishment — a remarkable 131 goals in the national colors of Portugal, while his club tally remains divided across his tenures at Real Madrid, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, and now, Al-Nassr.

Diogo Dalot opened the scoring early for Portugal, but after Ronaldo’s historic goal, a twist of fate saw Dalot’s own goal reduce the lead. The contest remained finely poised heading into the interval.

Both Portugal and Croatia find themselves in Group A1, battling alongside Poland and Scotland in the current Nations League edition. Portugal’s next test comes against Scotland on Sunday, following the Scots’ dramatic 3-2 loss to Poland. Despite an early 2-0 Polish lead — with Sebastian Szymanski striking first and Robert Lewandowski coolly converting from the penalty spot — Scotland fought back. Billy Gilmour sparked the comeback shortly after halftime, and Scott McTominay leveled the score before Roma’s Zalewski secured Poland’s victory with a stoppage-time penalty that squeezed under Angus Gunn.

Elsewhere in the competition, Slovakia and Northern Ireland secured wins in League C, while Sweden, under the new guidance of Jon Dahl Tomasson, triumphed 3-1 over Azerbaijan, thanks to a brace from Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.

A historical first was also etched in League D, as San Marino, FIFA’s lowest-ranked team, celebrated their inaugural competitive victory with a 1-0 win over Liechtenstein.