Real Madrid winger and Portugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo was in devastating form on Tuesday night as he struck a memorable hat trick for his country against Sweden that ensured Portugal’s qualification to the global soccer show case in Brazil next year.
Ronaldo had the last laugh as he won his highly-anticipated duel with fellow superstar and Sweden captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic had brought his side back into the game after his brace levelled the scores to 2 all on the night ensuring a nail biting finish to the tie but Ronaldo was not done with them as yet as he drove home the winner with 11 minutes to go.
The Real Madrid star struck thrice in the second half which, added to his goal in the 1-0 first leg win, wrapped up a 4-2 aggregate victory and put him on 47 goals for Portugal, level with Pauleta as the country’s joint-top scorer of all time.
Despite achieving that remarkable feat, Ronaldo remained humble acknowledging that it is not the work of one man but a team effort.
“Records are there to be beaten. It was not a priority.
“I knew that Portugal needed me. I do not have to prove anything to anyone. I try to do my work and give answers on the pitch.
“I did my job for my team. It is the team which has to be congratulated. We suffered for sure but that is how great teams win things. We retreated a little [when Sweden scored], but then we were better and we played better.”
CR7 also came out in the open to quash any hype surrounding his individual rivalry with Ibrahimovic.
“I do not compete against Zlatan,” he said to TV4.
“He is a fantastic player and [the] biggest star in Sweden, but I do not compete against him. I play for my team.”
Ronaldo also took to Twitter after the match to heap praises on his team mates on their achievement in qualifying for next summer’s show piece, tweeting: “All together we did it! Brazil is waiting for us!”
The win means Portugal, the Euro 2012 semi-finalists will be gracing Brazil next summer while Sweden skipper Ibrahimovic and his team-mates will be watching the world cup in the comfort of their homes.
According to Ibrahimovic the world cup is not worth watching since his presence would have lit the soccer show case.
“It was probably the last attempt to reach the World Cup with the national team for me. One thing is for sure, a World Cup without me is nothing to watch so it is not worth while to wait for the World Cup,” Ibrahimovic said to his app Zlatan unplugged.
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