London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Portugal 3-2 Ghana: Ronaldo breaks another World Cup record as Selecao edge thriller

Portugal 3-2 Ghana: Ronaldo breaks another World Cup record as Selecao edge thriller

A dour first half broke out into arguably the most entertaining game of the World Cup so far as Portugal survived a major scare to beat Ghana 3-2 in Doha.
Portugal settled into an early domination of the Black Stars, Cristiano Ronaldo leading a star-studded line-up against a stubborn, five-man Ghanaian defence.

Early chances fell the way of the free agent but he produced a heavy touch from a quickfire ball in behind, allowing goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi to come off his line and smother the shot.

A trademark leap for a cross to the far post moments later also failed to break the deadlock, Ronaldo nodding wide.

On 31 minutes, the 37-year-old bumped off Alexander Djiku a little too briskly for referee Ismail Elfath’s liking and the whistle went before he buried a shot in the far corner. It was perhaps a slightly soft foul, but not enough to warrant a VAR intervention.

Ghana did not have an attack to speak of until the 37th minute with a pair of corners. They went into the break without a shot and only 30 per cent of possession.

Portugal hardly improved after the break as their Group H opponents finally rallied a threat at goal, led by the superb Mohammed Kudus.

But Ronaldo intervened after 65 minutes to get a toe to the ball before Mohammed Salisu, winning what could be described as a harsh penalty - and stepping up to score it himself.

That made him the first player ever to score in five World Cups, and he stands as both Portugal’s oldest and youngest scorers at the competition across his stunning generation-spanning career.


But Ghana had a veteran leader of their own and levelled the score through Andre Ayew after a fine run and cross from Kudus.

Portugal looked stunned yet found a way back ahead when Baba Rahman failed to clear a 78th-minute ball to Joao Felix, who collected and finished deftly over Zigi to reassert the Selecao’s authority.

Only two minutes later, substitute Rafael Leao was played in by Bruno Fernandes to roll home Portugal’s third but Osman Bukari popped up with a far-post header at the start of nine additional minutes to make it 3-2.

Amazingly, at the end of ten minutes’ stoppage time, Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa dropped the ball as Inaki Williams lurked behind but the Ghana striker slipped at the pivotal moment and the chance was gone.

Portugal’s vital victory puts them top of the group after Uruguay’s earlier draw with South Korea.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×