Ronaldo has sat out of playing for his country since the World Cup finals last summer in Russia.
Portugal were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Uruguay, and the forward decided that he wanted to take some time away so he could focus on his fitness and new club Juventus.
Fernando Santos’ side managed to qualify for the UEFA Nations League finals, marking the perfect occasion for Ronaldo to return to action.
Captaining his side in the semi-finals against Switzerland, he was brought down by former Newcastle defender Kevin Mbabu.
He made no mistake from 25-yards, hammering the ball into the bottom corner to send his fans crazy on Twitter.
Despite not playing in the same league anymore, Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi debate remains rife and some used the goal as ammunition against the Argentine.
One tweeted: “Cristiano Ronaldo > Messi.”
A second said: “I love Messi, but i’m sorry Ronaldo is too good.”
Another joked: “UEFA nations league goals: Ronaldo – 1, Messi – 0. End of discussion.”
Ronaldo and Messi played out similar seasons with their club, both winning the league title but falling short in the Champions League and cup.
One agitated fan pointed out that Messi fans were watching tonight’s action for one reason: “Messi fan boys watching Ronaldo to spot out a mistake.”
Another claimed: “So if Ronaldo wins the nation’s league, is Messi still ?”
“Probably, yes [Ronaldo is the best player in the world],” he said.
“Obviously the last 10 years in club football has been focused on the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo.
“My personal opinion is that Ronaldo is better than Messi but mainly in terms of leadership.
“Ronaldo has proved himself to be a real leader a lot of times – and not only on the pitch. He is a leader in his life as well as in sports.”