Cristiano Ronaldo missed a crucial penalty for Portugal against Ireland, but Rúben Neves scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to seal victory.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s pursuit of 1,000 career goals suffered a setback on Saturday as Portugal narrowly defeated Ireland 1–0 in Lisbon, thanks to a late strike from Rúben Neves.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner had the chance to seal all three points for the 2025 UEFA Nations League champions when Portugal were awarded a penalty in the 75th minute after Dara O’Shea handled the ball in the box. However, former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher guessed correctly, saving Ronaldo’s effort with his right leg to keep the match level.
Ronaldo’s miss marked his third failed attempt from the spot against Kelleher, who has also denied Bruno Fernandes and Kylian Mbappé in previous encounters. The Brentford keeper was mobbed by his teammates after his crucial stop, which seemed to have secured Ireland a valuable draw.
Portugal, who dominated possession and registered over 20 shots, eventually broke through in added time. Francisco Trincão’s precise cross found Neves, whose header beat Kelleher in the 91st minute for his first international goal.
Neves dedicated the goal to the late Diogo Jota, revealing an honorary tattoo in tribute to the former Liverpool forward, who died alongside his brother André Silva in a car crash in July.
Portugal held firm through stoppage time to claim a hard-fought win, leaving Ronaldo to wait for his 142nd international goal. He will have another opportunity when Portugal host Hungary on October 14 in their next World Cup qualifier.