#WorldCup : Crazy Ronaldo hat-trick as Portugal and Spain draw 3-3 - Unbelievable match

Crazy draw as Cristiano Ronaldo becomes oldest to score World Cup hat trick
This means, of course, that Iran is in first place in Group B

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a dramatic hat-trick against Spain on Friday, bringing Portugal level at 3-3 in the dying minutes of their Group B clash in Sochi.

The Real Madrid forward opened his account with an early penalty before scoring again just before half-time. He completed his hat-trick with a magnificent strike from a free-kick in the 88th minute.

It was one of the most talked about matchups of the group stage. And we got one of the most entertaining World Cup matches in recent memory. In Group B, Spain and Portugal played out a wild six-goal thriller, with the teams drawing 3-3. Spain overcame a 2-1 deficit to take the lead in the second half before Cristiano Ronaldo completed his hat trick with a crazy late free-kick goal.  

Here's how it went down. 

Just four minutes into the game, Ronaldo tricked the referee into awarding a penalty kick on a non-foul from Nacho, and he put it away:


He draws the penalty and buries it to give Portugal an early 1-0 lead against Spain. #PORESP


Then 20 minutes later, Spain drew level with an absolutely wonderful goal from Diego Costa, who made some moves and found some space for a low rifle:


Then again, 20 minutes later, it was Ronaldo again, who put a shot on frame that David De Gea could not handle, with the first major goalkeeper blunder of the World Cup:


But again Spain had an answer. Ten minutes into the second half, it was Costa again, finishing off a beautifully-executed set piece in front of goal:

Spain's training-ground free kick ends up in the back of the net thanks to Busquets and Costa. 👏👏

Then, another quick punch. As Spain was dominating, it got another goal from Nacho who produced a delicious hit into the corner off the post three minutes later:



The defender makes up for his early mistake with a beauty to put Spain ahead 3-2.

But the last laugh would go to Ronaldo. Becoming the oldest player to score a hat trick in World Cup history, the 33-year-old got the equalizer in the 87th minute with an out-of-this-world free kick that left De Gea frozen:


Iran is in first place in Group B with three points. What a world. And so far, what a World Cup.

#WorldCup : Iran stun Morocco with late goal in a rare World Cup victory

MOSCOW, Russia — Iran was gifted a late 1-0 victory over Morocco in their opening World Cup match on Friday when Aziz Bouhaddouz headed into his own net five minutes into injury time.

The Group match B in Saint Petersburg had been heading for a goalless draw until Bouhaddouz's unfortunate intervention as he tried to clear Ehsan Haji Safi's cross but only directed it past his own goalkeeper.

Iran started with Sardar Azmoun in place of injured striker Mehdi Taremi for the opening Group B match against Morocco in St Petersburg.

Up front for Morocco was Ayoub El Kaabi, who only made his international debut in March but has forced his way into Herve Renard's starting lineup.

Morocco: Achraf Hakimi, Mehdi Benatia, Romain Saiss, Hakim Ziyech, Karim El Ahmadi, Ayoub El Kaabi, Younes Belhanda, Monir El Kajoui, Mbark Boussoufa, Noureddine Amrabat, Amine Harit

Iran: Ali Beiranvand, Ehsan Hajisafi, Roozbeh Cheshmi, Masoud Shojaei, Morteza Pouraliganji, Omid Ebrahimi, Karim Ansarifard, Vahid Amiri, Alieza Jahanbakhsh, Sardar Azmoun, Ramin Rezaeian.

#WorldCup : Uruguay strike late to beat fighting Egypt as Salah sits out match

Jose Gimenez was the unlikely 89th-minute match winner as Uruguay defeated an Egypt side shorn of star man Mohamed Salah 1-0 in their World Cup opener today.

Uruguay's deserved last-gasp victory leaves them and Russia in early control in Group A after the hosts' 5-0 mauling of Saudi Arabia in the tournament opener on Thursday.
A poor game looked likely to end in stalemate but with Uruguay cranking up the pressure late on, defender Gimenez rose to power a header into the top corner and break Egypt hearts.

Aside from Liverpool ace Salah failing to get off the bench with his shoulder injury, another major talking point was also off the pitch – large portions of empty seats in one main stand at the Yekaterinburg Arena were an embarrassing sight for FIFA and local organisers.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani had a couple of half-chances for Uruguay in the first half, the best made by himself when he juggled the ball and lashed it on the volley from outside the box, but it was deflected over.

Attacking partner Luis Suarez – in his first World Cup appearance since his biting ban of 2014 – was largely quiet in an unremarkable first period, doing his best work when he drifted between the lines of Egypt's defence and midfield.
Marwan Mohsen played as a lone forward for Egypt, but with Salah missing and

Uruguay skipper Diego Godin imperious, he hardly had a sniff.
One of the biggest cheers came after 30 minutes when the stadium screens showed Salah happily chatting away on the bench but that is where the birthday boy – who turned 26 on Friday – remained.

With Egypt coach Hector Cuper saying on the eve of the clash that Salah had recovered from the injury sustained three weeks ago in the Champions League final, Egyptians will be desperately hoping their talisman is back for the game with Russia on Tuesday, now a must-win.

The north Africans, contesting their first World Cup since 1990, were for the main part fairly comfortable in defence and Arsenal's Mohamed Elneny was a constant presence at the base of Egypt's midfield.

Suarez, who had a frustrating afternoon, forced goalkeeper Mohamed Elshenawy into a decent stop straight after half-time, the Barcelona striker slamming his boot into an advertising board in anger.

He thumped the turf on 73 minutes when Elshenawy smothered at his feet, and seven minutes from the end the stopper was at it again, palming Cavani's drive over.

Cavani then struck a post with a free-kick as Egypt held on with increasing desperation, before Gimenez's dramatic late intervention.