A STUNNING hat-trick by Cristiano Ronaldo in a free kick at the 88th minute led to a draw between neighbours Spain and Portugal in their first World Cup match in Russia this evening (Friday).
With the Spanish team unsettled by their manager, Julen Lopetegui's being fired by the RFEF two days before the tournament started and once they were already in Sochi, and new coach Fernando Hierro having just 48 hours to get to know his players and prep them for the derby, knowing they would be up against one of the world's best footballers in Ronaldo meant the pressure was on from all sides.
The Portuguese captain, who plays for Real Madrid, put Spain behind by scoring just four minutes into the match, but Diego Costa levelled up just as hopes were beginning to fade.
All fingers and thumbs, David de Gea's schoolboy error shortly before half-time let another Ronaldo goal in, but Spain fought back in the second half with Diego Costa and Nacho bringing the score to 3-2 and what looked set to be a victory for La Roja, until Ronaldo's final flourish with two minutes to go before the final whistle.
The Portuguese legend is now only the fourth player in history to score at four World Cups, and is the oldest hat-tricker in the history of the tournament at 33 years and 130 days – a statistic that had not changed in 40 years since The Netherlands' Rob Rensenbrink scored three times against Iran in 1978, aged 30 years and 335 days.
SPAIN'S last-minute win against England in the 2024 UEFA Euros comes on the 60th anniversary of the country's first-ever title in the much-followed competition – and has broken numerous records, too.
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