Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the man of the moment at the ongoing Fifa World Cup in Russia as he scored hat-trick making him the highest goal scorer at the moment .After just five minutes, Spain’s World Cup appeared to be heading from chaos to calamity. They went into Friday night’s clash with Portugal in Sochi enveloped by controversy and drama after the shock sacking of manager Julen Lopetegui just two days before their opening game. Within moments of kick-off – with former sporting director Fernando Hierro now in charge – they gave away a penalty that Cristiano Ronaldo dispatched with his usual aplomb. At this point, Spain could have imploded.
They were not playing the fluid, tiki-taka football for which they are so well known, while European champions Portugal – sitting deep and playing on the break – looked like a tough nut to crack. But it was the most un-Spanish of goals that shifted the narrative yet again. A long ball forward to Diego Costa, bullish hold-up play from the old fashioned No.9 and then a ferocious finish.
Still, Spain’s current appetite for self-destruction was not quite quenched. David de Gea, arguably the world’s best goalkeeper, made an uncharacteristic error on the stroke of half-time and Spain’s recovery needed to start all over again. And that’s exactly what happened. Another ‘anti-Spain’ goal from a set-piece to level the scores, and then an early contender for goal of the tournament from defender Nacho the same player that gave away the early penalty.
But, with time running out, there was one more twist in the tale and it was Ronaldo who wrote the final chapter. The Real Madrid star, against the nation where he plays his football, fired an incredible free-kick in to level the scores and seal his hat-trick. Despite the late drama, the match felt redemptive for Spain. In a match of high quality, they showed they will be a massive challenge for any team, manager or no manager. But, ultimately, this was Ronaldo’s night.