Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in world Cup opener against Spain
The Real Madrid star scored a hat-trick for Portugal against Spain - the eighth straight tournament he has netted in - but that isn't an all-time high Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick for Portugal against Spain saw him re-write the history books once again, but Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan has refuted one record attributed to the Real Madrid superstar.
In front of a global audience of billions, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner did not disappoint on his first outing at World Cup 2018.
Diego Costa and Spain did their best to ruin Ronaldo’s night in a thrilling Iberian derby, but the 33-year-old was not to be denied.
Having opened the scoring from the penalty spot and benefited from a rare mistake by Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, a stunning free-kick secured a point for Portugal in a 3-3 draw.
Ronaldo is now the oldest player to have recorded a treble at the World Cup finals, while he has also netted at eight straight international tournaments.
It was suggested that he is the first man to have achieved such a feat, but that statistics only took into account World Cups, European Championships and Copa Americas.
With the African Cup of Nations not taken into consideration, Ghana star Gyan has moved quickly to point out that his efforts still stand despite the desire of some to overlook them.
The 32-year-old frontman - currently on the books of Turkish side Kayserispor - has actually netted in nine successive major finals.
Gyan opened his account at major tournaments at the 2006 World Cup, before netting the first effort of the 2008 African Cup of Nations.
People disregard my achievements in the World Cup history but I want the whole world to know that I have not been given the fair shake but records will remain forever ????????
— ASAMOAH GYAN (@ASAMOAH_GYAN3) June 15, 2018
Three more goals followed at the 2010 AFCON and the same tally at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – an event which saw him produce a costly penalty miss in a quarter-final clash with Uruguay.
Gyan also found the target at the African Cup of Nations in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017, with efforts against Germany and Portugal at the 2014 World Cup sandwiched between those strikes.
In all, the former Sunderland man has 51 international goals to his name.
Ronaldo sits some way clear of that tally on 84, with Iran legend Ali Daei – on 109 – the only man to have found the target on more occasions for his country.
