5 times Cristiano Ronaldo saved Portugal

#3 Portugal vs the Netherlands, UEFA European Championship Semi-Finals (2-1, 2004)

Ronaldo used to wear No.17 in his initial days with Portugal

The Netherlands must have eerie memories of facing Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal. Prior to the previously mentioned encounter in 2012, the Portuguese talisman had already eliminated the Netherlands in the 2004 edition of the Euros at the tender age of 19.

Following a tough group stage, both sides managed to reach the semi-finals of the 2004 European Championship. While Portugal defeated England on penalties in the quarters, the Netherlands did the same to Sweden following a goalless draw.

In an all-action brawl, Cristiano Ronaldo managed to put his side ahead with a towering header in the 26th minute. He even assisted Portugal's second goal, siding the ball to Maniche, who scored an absolute banger from outside the box. Due to Cristiano Ronaldo's involvement in each of their two goals, Portugal were able to glide past the Netherlands, setting up a final clash against eventual winners Greece.

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#2 Portugal vs Spain, FIFA World Cup Group Stage (3-3, 2018)

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brilliant hat-trick to bail out Portugal

At the 2018 World Cup, Portugal were drawn into Group B alongside international giants Spain. To make the tale spicier, their opening fixture just so happened to be against La Roja. Even though the Spaniards had experienced a steep decline following their dominant form since 2008, they still posed great danger to this Portugal side.

Fernando Santos' men were given an early lifeline as the referee pointed straight to the spot following Nacho's foul on Cristiano Ronaldo in the fourth minute. Maintaining his composure, the Real Madrid superstar slotted it past David De Gea from 12 yards out to give Portugal the lead.

After a Diego Costa equalizer, Ronaldo once again fired his side ahead in the 44th minute, following a calamitous error by De Gea. Having conceded a third goal, Portugal were given a last-minute opportunity to equalize in the form of a free-kick.

Once again, it was Cristiano Ronaldo who stepped up in the dying embers of the game. Refusing to go down, the legendary forward delivered a thunderous free-kick, completing a wonderful hat-trick in the process. And just like that, Portugal were saved.

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#1 Portugal vs Sweden, FIFA World Cup qualifier (3-2, 2013)

Sweden v Portugal - FIFA 2014 World Cup Qualifier: Play-off Second Leg

One of the most important games in Os Navegadores' history occurred in 2013 when they were pitted against Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Sweden. In the lead up to the 2014 World Cup, Portugal had finished second behind Russia, forcing them to duke it out against Sweden for a place in the said tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late winner in the first leg to give his side the advantage. For the second leg of this fixture, Portugal traveled to Solna with hopes of effortlessly putting the tie to bed. Nevertheless, Erik Hamren's men had something different planned.

Cristiano Ronaldo's strike in the 50th minute put his side 2-0 up on aggregate, and the game looked as good as over. However, Sweden struck back in no time, with Ibrahimovic scoring two goals in the span of four minutes to revive his side. The momentum was now with the home side and it looked like they would get a third goal to send them through at the expense of Portugal.

But when you have a savior like Cristiano Ronaldo on your side, things rarely take a turn for the worse. The electric forward responded in emphatic fashion, adding two goals to his tally in the space of just two minutes to bury the game once and for all. Subsequently, Portugal were able to progress to the 2014 World Cup, with Cristiano Ronaldo as their messiah.

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