Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
24 March 2025 (Sunday match)
Ronaldo missed an early penalty but rebounded by scoring and helping Portugal defeat Denmark 5-2 (5-3 aggregate) to advance to the UEFA Nations League semifinals.
Despite the miss, Ronaldo remained confident. Portugal’s dominant display included goals from Ronaldo, Francisco Trincão (2), and Gonçalo Ramos, sealing a showdown with Germany in the next round.
Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid & England
March 2025
Thomas Tuchel substituted Jude Bellingham in the 67th minute of England’s 3-0 World Cup qualifier win against Latvia to avoid the risk of a red card. Bellingham had already been booked and was involved in another reckless challenge.
After a first-half yellow and another risky tackle, Tuchel opted to remove Bellingham early to maintain control. England won comfortably with goals from Reece James, Harry Kane, and Eberechi Eze, climbing to the top of Group K with Tuchel extending his perfect start.
Scotland vs. Greece
24 March 2025
Scotland lost 3-0 at home and 3-1 on aggregate in the Nations League playoff second leg, missing out on promotion to Group A.
Goals from Konstantelias, Karetsas, and Tzolis sealed a dominant comeback for Greece after Scotland led 1-0 from the first leg.
Francisco Trincão (Sporting CP), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
24 March 2025
Francisco Trincão came off the bench to score twice and lead Portugal to a dramatic 5-2 extra-time win over Denmark (5-3 agg), securing a Nations League semifinal clash with Germany.
Despite Ronaldo missing an early penalty, Portugal overcame Denmark’s aggregate lead with goals from Ronaldo, Trincão (2), a Joachim Andersen own goal, and a late Gonçalo Ramos strike. Trincão’s late impact proved decisive in turning the tie around after a 3-3 aggregate deadlock at full time.
Denmark vs. Portugal
21 March 2025
Rasmus Højlund scored the only goal to seal a 1-0 win for Denmark over Portugal in the first leg of their Nations League quarterfinal.
Coming off the bench, Højlund netted in the 78th minute following a Christian Eriksen assist, celebrating with Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic “Siu” as Ronaldo watched from the sidelines. Eriksen earlier missed a penalty, but Denmark held firm to take a lead into Sunday’s second leg in Lisbon.
Gab Marcotti: “This was one of the worst Portugal performances.”
Japan National Football Team
March 2025
Japan secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Bahrain, becoming the first team outside of the co-hosts (United States, Mexico, Canada) to qualify.
With three games remaining in the third round of the Asian qualifiers, Japan’s win guaranteed them a top-two finish in Group C, ensuring their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance since their debut in 1998. Their dominant performances in what was regarded as one of the toughest qualifying groups further solidified their status as an Asian powerhouse.
Wataru Endō (Japan National Team, Liverpool)
March 2025 (World Cup Qualifiers)
Endō is on the verge of becoming the latest Japan captain to secure World Cup qualification.
Japan leads Group C with a nine-point advantage and can qualify with a win against Bahrain. If not, they have another chance against Saudi Arabia next week.
