“Free from the shackles of Man United”, “Ronaldo can’t be stopped” – Twitter erupts as Cristiano Ronaldo brace guides Portugal to win over Slovakia

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 124th and 125th international goals as Portugal qualified for the 2024 European Championships with a 3-2 win over Slovakia on Friday (October 13).

Roberto Martinez's men were much the better side on the night and were dominant throughout the first half. Their opener came in the 18th minute courtesy of Paris Saint-Germain forward Goncalo Ramos.

Bruno Fernandes conjured up yet another brilliant assist, sending a perfect cross into Ramos' path. He headed home past Slovakian goalkeeper Martin Dubravka to give Portugal a 1-0 lead at the Estadio do Dragao.

Cristiano Ronaldo was then on the scoresheet in the 29th minute as he struck from the spot. The Al-Nassr superstar sent Dubravka the wrong way with a cool finish.

However, the legendary forward had a moment to forget in the 38th minute when a rebound fell to him. He reacted quickly but sent the ball wide with the goal glaring.

The hosts controlled proceedings in the second half and Joao Cancelo really should have put the game to bed in the 66th minute. The Barcelona right-back sped forward into Slovakia's box but sent his shot high over the bar with Ronaldo available.

Cancelo would live to rue that miss as Francesco Calzona's side got themselves back into the game a minute later. Feyenoord left-back David Hancko's long-ranged shot took a wicked deflection off Antonio Silva and flew past Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

It needn't matter though as Cristiano Ronaldo came to the fore in the 71st minute with a typical striker's finish. He has a knack for being in the right place at the right time and met Fernandes' low-driven cross with a simple tap-in.

The Al-Nassr superstar has now scored 73 international goals since turning 30. That's more than anyone at that age for the likes of Germany, France, England, Spain, and 188 more countries.

However, Napoli midfielder Stanislav Lobotka then hit the goal of the night in the 79th minute. He struck from far out with a fierce effort that beat Costa with aplomb.

Joao Felix and Diogo Jota were both denied by excellent saves from Dubravka in the 90th minute. The latter had another attempt denied by the Newcastle United shot-stopper two minutes later.

Portugal clinched victory and in the process qualified for next year's European Championships in Germany. Ronaldo was the standout performer on the night and one fan thinks he's been set free after leaving Manchester United:

"Ronaldo is playing soo well, free from the shackles of man United and that bald fraud."

Al-Nassr talked up his performance:

"A brace in Porto. Ronaldo can’t be stopped."

Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted as Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal sealed their ticket to Euro 2024:

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Cristiano Ronaldo failed a lie detector test when claiming he believed Portugal could win the World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo recently held a lie detector test with Binance and was asked several intriguing questions. One of them was whether he believed Portugal could win the FIFA World Cup.

The Al-Nassr superstar responded:

"Yes."

However, the lie detector test determined that he was lying and he laughed it off:

"What a pessimist, huh?"

Ronaldo has never won the World Cup during his career and the closest he came to doing so was in 2006. Selecao reached the semifinals but bowed out to France.

Portugal were touted as a dark horse to win last year's tournament but couldn't make it past the quarterfinal stages. Ronaldo endured a frustrating campaign with one goal in five games.

There were question marks over his future with his national team following their disappointing exit from the 2022 World Cup. But, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has continued playing for the 2016 European Champions. He will be 41 once the next tournament comes around in 2026.

However, Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly decided to extend his contract with Al-Nassr until 2027. He wants to be playing competitively to be in shape for the 2026 World Cup which takes place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.