The Portugal icon scored his 100th and 101st goals for his country when club football took last place at the back and there was a chance count with an all-Iberian clash Wednesday
That’s because Ronaldo lined up against the very team he inflicted a famous hat-trick at the 2018 World Cup, saving a point from the Russian tournament when it seemed impossible
The 35-year-old opened a spectacular 3-3 draw in Sochi with a clinical penalty, before benefiting from a clanger from David de Gea and rounding things off with one of his biggest shots Franks of all time
It was the umpteenth reminder that no matter how you play against a Ronaldo team, you’re only a moment or two away from the magic of the game.
Unfortunately, there was no sign of a masterclass Ronaldo in the first exchanges to Lisbon and Spain, although failing to score in the first half, were comfortably the most dominant
Nonetheless, with Ronaldo being Ronaldo, there was still time for him to make headlines with a moment that explains exactly why he’s often referred to as the ultimate football machine.
Virtually every Ronaldo teammate over the decades has vouched for his elite mindset, noting how he gets to training earlier than others and focuses on every little detail
Well, it couldn’t have been more than apparent when the referee blew during half-time during Portugal v Spain seconds too early with Ronaldo’s reaction being filmed
The Juventus superstar couldn’t hide his disgust as he exchanged words with the official and pointed to what was presumably a large screen or monitor showing the premature time
Ronaldo is one of only two players, alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to score in every minute of regulation time in football history from first to 90th
As a result, Ronaldo is possibly the best-placed player in the world to complain about such a bizarre timing decision and it’s impossible to know what a difference it could have made
One thing we do know, however, is that that didn’t stop Ronaldo from stealing the blocks in the second half and he came back a few inches from scoring one of his most beautiful goals for Portugal
The ex-Real Madrid player saw his blistering shot go past Kepa Arrizabalaga, only for the crossbar to deny him glory, which is the same fate Renato Sanches suffered soon after.
Ronaldo had created a glorious opportunity for his compatriot with a superb off-the-foot pass, but the crossbar once again remained determined to keep the game going on an exciting 0-0
Portugal, Spain national football team, Cristiano Ronaldo, UEFA Nations League, Spain
News from the world – GB – Cristiano Ronaldo’s reaction to the referee who exploded too early for HT sums up his elite mentality
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
