‘It felt like a final’: Press, players give Ronaldo respect after World Cup hat-trick

A very high bar has been set for the best game of the Russia 2018 World Cup, as Portugal and Spain battled to a thrilling six-goal epic battle in their Group B opener in Sochi, and Twitter has reacted appropriately.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man; Cristiano Ronaldo put his issues with the Spanish financial authorities well and truly behind him, scoring a stunning late free kick to claim a 3-3 draw for Portugal against their Iberian neighbors and rivals Spain, in what will be remembered as a classic early World Cup fixture.

READ MORE: Hat-trick hero Ronaldo holds Spain at bay in thrilling 3-3 shootout

David De Gea, considered by many to be the world’s best goalkeeper, will be hoping that memories of this encounter fade quickly after he allowed a Ronaldo effort to squeeze past his grip, reminding Twitter users of Loris Karius’ error against Ronaldo’s Real Madrid in last month’s Champions League Final.

Twitter users the world over have been reacting to this and many other incidents in Friday’s match, below are some of the best.