Cristiano Ronaldo racks up records at FIFA World Cup after hat-trick against Spain

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first player in World Cup history to score hattrick against Spain.

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo applauds after the group B match between Portugal and Spain. (Source: AP)

In a match that broke multiple records, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hattrick against Spain to give Portugal a 3-3 draw on Friday in their opening match of Group B at the FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia. Ronaldo scored twice in the first half to give his side 2-1 lead at half-time but Diego Costa equalised by scoring a goal in both the halves before Nacho Fernandez put the 2010 champions ahead in the 58th minute. The Real Madrid star, however, managed to put an end to Spain’s lead by curling a late shot, thanks to a free-kick, forcing the match into a draw.

* Cristiano Ronaldo is now the player with the second most international goals in football history (84). That ties him with Ferenc Puskás (HUN) for the most international goals by a European player.

* Cristiano Ronaldo is the first player in history to score a hatrick vs Spain in either the World Cup or the Euros.

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* Cristiano Ronaldo’s second goal was Portugal’s second ever World Cup goal from outside the box. First was Deco vs Iran in 2006.

* Cristiano Ronaldo is the first Portugal player with two goals in the first half of a World Cup match since Eusébio in 1966 vs North Korea. Eusébio is Portugal’s all-time leading scorer at the World Cup with 9 goals.

* Among all active players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the player with
Most hatricks: 51
Most International goals: 84
Most club goals: 573
Most career goals: 657

* Cristiano Ronaldo is now the oldest player in football history to score a hatrick in the World Cup.

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* Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the third Portugal player to score a World Cup hat-trick (Eusebio 1966 and Pauleta 2002)

* Cristiano Ronaldo is only the fourth player in football history to score in four different World Cup tournaments (after Pele, Klose, and Uwe Seeler).

* Cristiano Ronaldo had taken 43 direct free kicks in international tournaments without scoring.

* Spain holds the longest active undefeated streak in the world right now (20 matches in 2 years).

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* It is the 16th World Cup match in which both teams scored 3+ goals, and first since Senegal vs. Uruguay in 2002.

* It is the first time either Portugal or Spain failed to win a World Cup match in which it scored 3 or more goals.

* It is the third hattrick by Portugal in World Cup history, and the first hattrick scored against Spain at the World Cup.

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