Fifa world cup: Cristiano Ronaldo scores in fifth World Cup as Portugal take on Ghana in thriller

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(Image source: pixabay)

A tough competition turned into a thriller and Cristiano Ronaldo managed to dominate the story by laying it all down. This came as no surprise given the circumstances and was certainly what the crowd was asking for, many dressed in Portuguese shirts but a large group was clearly present to see just one man. 

Their loyalty was rewarded with a decidedly converted penalty that marked a historic moment. Ronaldo was the first male player to score in five different World Cups and whether you hate the circus or love the fanatical drive and selfishness that makes him such an excruciating job at the age of 37, it is one Performance that no one can beat. 

It wasn't a classic Ronaldo: it was a slower, frustrated act of homage, albeit one that carried Portugal's only goal threat for three quarters of the game. In his prime he would have downed Ghana with a hat-trick, but instead he spent the final moments watching in horror from the bench as Iñaki thwarts Williams after jumping from behind sleepy goalkeeper Diogo Costa to steal the ball was when a sensational scorer equalized. 

Ronaldo was among those to console Costa, who was visibly shaken by his mistake, at full-time. It was an all-nighter for a rookie player. 

"It was a week of closing that chapter," Ronaldo said of the storm surrounding his promotion-chasing departure from Manchester United. 

"I stopped and now I want to start on the right foot. We started, we won, I want to help my team." He eventually did, though the headlines would have looked different had he made two glaring internal mistakes first 13 minutes, a free header that missed from four yards particularly amazing. The change. A goal after half an hour was rightly disallowed for a push, much to the dismay of his home crowd, and by the time he benefited from a marginal decision, he and Portugal were off the pace. 

Ronaldo just picked up the ball from the otherwise excellent Mohammed Salisu in the 65th minute, but the fight was close because, as on several previous occasions, he was not quick. His touch was followed by a foul from Salisu, which referee Ismail Elfath believed had caught Ronaldo pulling away. VAR chose not to intervene and in fairness there was no clear and obvious foul despite the award being soft. 

Anyway, Ronaldo cared a little bit and did the rest. 

"It was a beautiful moment," he said. "It was an important win, we know that the first game is crucial in these competitions, but the world record also makes me very proud." Those present were hailed with great glee to his trademark, but it soon risked becoming an exercise in hubris. 

Ghana had settled in cautiously and played with a flat defense for most of the first half, but then gained confidence and were the better team from the start. They channeled that confidence into an equalizer, the lively Mohammed Kudus heading from the left through Danilo Pereira's legs for André Ayew to fire home. 

Otto Addo's men were erratic in possession, however, and were twice punished with the kind of counterattacks that Portugal struggled to string together. 

The decisive goals came within seven minutes of Ayew's equalizer and both were assisted by Bruno Fernandes who blossomed as the game progressed. João Félix deftly touched the first after Rahman Baba failed to find Fernandes' pass: he has been fighting for Atlético Madrid but it was a timely reminder that Ronaldo could have an obvious heir. 

Or maybe he has two. Almost immediately Ronaldo released the ball to Fernandes after a Ghanaian mistake, the pair partnered more intelligently than recent off-field interactions suggested and his former club-mate raced forward before slotting past Rafael Leão. Leão, who had just come on as a substitute, was tipped as a potential star this winter and began to live up to the hype with a poor finish. 

Ronaldo was withdrawn to a predictable ovation and an equally predictable dislike from his side and it looked like it might be a winning run. Ghana substitute Osman Bukari sent him off with a header, and if Williams had properly rewarded his initiative with nine minutes to go in stoppage time, the night would have been more than a remarkable performance. 

The game had become exciting out of nowhere and Addo felt he had caused the penalty incident, calling it "a special gift from the referee" and a "really wrong decision". His opposite number, Fernando Santos, could be mired in the consequences. 

"Cristiano is an extraordinary legend, like many others who have come and gone," said Santos. "In 50 years we'll still be talking about it." At the current pace, agenda setting will extend its potential for decades.