Ronaldo was the focus of attention after an interview published more than 10 days ago, causing his contract to be terminated by Man Utd.
In the European team’s dominant position from the start, Ronaldo was the destination for almost every ball.
Ronaldo shared joy with his teammates after scoring.
The goal again came close to Ronaldo in the 30th minute. This time, he put the ball into Ghana’s net but was penalized for a previous dispute with Alexander Djiku.
But compared to the somewhat boring developments of the first half, the two teams created a real football party after the break.
Joao Cancelo rose too high and Ruben Dias did not have enough speed to mark Kudus.
Ayew punished the Portuguese defense’s mistake by equalizing 1-1.
Bruno Fernandes made his mark with a pass, causing Rahman Baba to miss, while Joao Felix proved that coach Santos kept him on the field for a reason with a delicate finish, sending the ball through the space under goalkeeper Ati Zigi’s arm.
Fernandes once again contributed first when he dribbled the ball to the front of the penalty area and then passed just enough for Rafael Leao to finish with one touch into the far corner.
Goalkeeper Costa almost became a criminal with a mistake in the final minutes of extra time.
Ghana’s goal to shorten the score to 2-3 made Portuguese fans experience anxious minutes.
A few minutes later, Costa threw the ball live at his feet and let Williams steal it from behind.
Portugal 3-2 Ghana
With this victory, Portugal leads Group H with three points.
See key developments