Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal hat-trick hero lays down World Cup 2018 Golden Boot goal gauntlet to Lionel Messi... and adds a GOAT celebration

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Standard Sport17 June 2018

Cristiano Ronaldo became the fourth player to score in four World Cups and stroked his chin as he ran in celebration. The apparent message? I'm the GOAT, not Lionel Messi.

GOAT is the acronym for "greatest of all time," and Adidas is running an advertisement featuring Messi with a real goat.

Ronaldo and Messi have been soccer's top players for the past decade and rivals in La Liga.

Ronaldo drew a penalty from Nacho and converted in the fourth minute to put Portugal 1-0 up against Spain on Friday night.

REUTERS

He ran to a corner flag, leaped and broke into the chin-stroke to celebrate his 83rd international goal and fifth in World Cup play.

But Ronaldo wasn't done there, scoring his second before half-time courtesy of a David de Gea error before rescuing a 3-3 draw for Portugal with a stunning, late free-kick into the top corner.

REUTERS

Ronaldo helped Portugal win the 2016 European Championship and has led Real Madrid to the last three Champions League titles.

REUTERS

The 33-year-old joined Brazil's Pele (1958-70), West Germany's Uwe Seeler (1958-70) and Germany's Miroslav Klose (2002-14) as the only players to score in four World Cups.

EPA

Messi, who turns 31 on June 24, has 64 goals for Argentina and was a key to Barcelona's Champions League titles in 2009, 2011 and 2015. His World Cup opens on Saturday against Iceland.

Each player has won the Fifa Player of the Year Award five times: Messi from 2009-12 and in 2015, and Ronaldo in 2008, 2013-14 and 2016-17.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press.

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