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Cristiano Ronaldo just keeps breaking records. The Portugal captain's back-to-back hat-tricks against Lithuania in the ongoing Euro 2020 qualifiers took his team to the cusp of qualification for the quadrennial tournament.
In scoring his fourth hat-trick of the season for club and country (3 for Portugal, 1 for Juventus), Ronaldo took his career hat-trick tally to 55, which is 3 clear of the next best haul by an active player (Lionel Messi).
Ronaldo's 9th hat-trick in national team colours also takes him 3 clear of his nearest challenger Messi who has done so 6 times for Argentina. The three-goal haul took Ronaldo's goal tally for Portugal to 98, which is the most by any player for any country, behind only Iran's Ali Daei (109).
Let us have a look at all the occasions when Ronaldo scored 3 (or more) goals in a game for Portugal.
#9 Portugal 6-0 Lithuania in Algarve, Euro 2020 Qualifier
After a 0-2 loss at section winners Ukraine in their previous game, Portugal needed to win both their remaining games to stay in the hunt for a place at Euro 2020. Cristiano Ronaldo duly led from the front as Portugal took Lithuania to the sword on matchday-9.
The Portugal captain opened the scoring from the spot after seven minutes had elapsed in Algarve and soon added a second midway through the first half as the European champions went into halftime with a two-goal advantage.
Following goals from Pizzi, Goncalo Pacienca, and Bernardo Silva which put the result beyond doubt, Ronaldo applied the coup de grace, completing his hat-trick in the second half as Portugal cruised to a 6-0 win on the night.
It marked the fifth consecutive game Ronaldo scored for Portugal as the Juventus striker completed back-to-back hat-tricks against Lithuania, in the process scoring multiple hat-tricks against a third different opposition.
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#8: Lithuania 1-5 Portugal in Vilnius, Euro 2020 Qualifiers
Ronaldo opened the scoring for Portugal in the seventh minute from the spot. The home side levelled the score midway through the first half as the teams went to the breather at 1-1.
It would be as good as it got for the hosts on the night. Ronaldo restored Portugal's lead at the hour mark and four minutes later completed his 8th hat-trick in national team colours as the European champions took a stranglehold of the game.
It was Ronaldo's first hat-trick in the Euro 2020 qualifiers and his second overall in European qualifying campaigns. The Juventus captain scored his fourth of the game, marking the second instance in his career when he netted 4 goals for the A. Selecao (also against Andorra in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers), as Portugal completed a comfortable 5-1 win.
#7: Portugal 3-1 Switzerland in Porto, 2018-19 UEFA Nations League semifinals
Making his first appearance in the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League in 2018-19, Ronaldo made it a memorable one when his hat-trick floored Switzerland in the semifinals.
Portugal would go on to beat Netherlands in the final as Ronaldo lifted his second international trophy for his national team.
In a tight game in Porto, Ronald opened the scoring for the hosts midway through the first half as Portugal held a slender one-goal advantage at halftime. Ricardo Rodriguez's equaliser for Switzerland made it a tighter affair until Ronaldo restored Portugal's lead two minutes from time.
Another goal two minutes later broke the Swiss resistance as Ronaldo registered his seventh hat-trick for Portugal and took the home nation to the UEFA Nations League final.
#6: Spain 3-3 Portugal in Sochi, 2018 FIFA World Cup group-stage
In an all-Iberian derby in the Russian black sea resort of Sochi, Ronaldo's 4th-minute opener from the spot marked the earliest goal conceded by Spain at a World Cup.
Although Diego Costa restored parity for the 2010 champions, Ronaldo's scored his second of the game on the cusp of halftime as Portugal looked on course for a famous win. Costa's second of the game nullified Portugal's lead and when Nacho scored a long-ranger on the hour-mark, Spain were in the lead for the first time on the night,
But it was a night Ronaldo wouldn't leave his imprint go un-rewarded. Felled on the edge of the box in the dying moments of the game, Ronaldo hauled himself up and scorched the Spain net with a fabulous free-kick to force a share of the spoils on a thirlling night in Sochi.
It was Ronaldo's first goal from a direct free-kick at the World Cup as the Portugal captain also registered his first-hat-trick at a major tournament.
# 5: Portugal 5-1 Faroe Islands in Porto, 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier
Once again Ronaldo and Portugal made a brisk start as the captain opened the scoring against Faroe Islands after three minutes.
Midway through the first half, Ronaldo doubled Portugal's lead on the night. Faroe Islands capitalised on a lapse of concentration from the home team to pull a goal back but Portugal soon re-asserted their supremacy in the game as William Carvalho turned in Ronaldo's pass.
Goalscorer soon turned provider as Ronaldo completed his fifth hat-trick for Portugal as the European champions went to close out a comfortable 5-1 win in Porto to stay on course for a place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
#4: Portugal 6-0 Andorra in Aviero, 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier
In a dominating performance in front of an adoring home crowd in Aviero, Ronaldo scored twice in the space of the opening four minutes against Andorra in a qualifier for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The Portugal captain duly completed his hat-trick two minutes into the second half, and registered his first four-goal haul in national team colours by finding the back of the net midway through the second half. Portugal went to complete a 6-0 win over the overwhelmed visitors.
#3: Armenia 2-3 Portugal in Yerevan, Euro 2016 Qualifier
In a competitive Euro 2016 qualifier, Marcos Pizzelli opened the scoring for the hosts, only to be pulled back by Cristiano Ronaldo's opener from the spot at the half-hour mark, as the teams went into halftime on level terms.
Ronaldo added a quickfire double at the hour mark to give Portugal a 3-1 lead on the night. In the process, the Portugal captain scored his third hat-trick for the A. Selecao.
Armenia pulled a goal back through Hrayr Mkoyan but Portugal hung on to complete a hard-fought 3-2 win in Yerevan to stay on course for qualification at the 2016 Euros.
#2: Sweden 2-3 Portugal in Stockholm, 2014 FIFA World Cup Play-off Second Leg
After Portugal narrowly missed out to Russia for a direct spot at the 2014 World Cup, the Iberian nation faced Sweden in a two-legged playoff for a place in the quadrennial tournament.
Portugal arrived at the Friends' Arena in Solna, Stockholm for the second leg on the back of a 1-0 first leg advantage. On a night where the host nation looked up to their inspirational captain Zlatan Ibrahimovich for some magic to rubber-stamp their return to the World Cup after missing out in 2010, it was Ronaldo who stole the limelight.
After a goalless first half in the Swedish capital, Portugal adapted better to a difficult surface recently relaid for the World Cup play-off as Ronaldo's low left-footed shot beat Andreas Isaksson and doubled Portugal's aggregate lead. With Sweden now needing three goals to qualify, Ibrahimovich's header reduced the deficit to two.
When the talismanic Swedish captain scored off a free-kick, the Friends' Arena rose in anticipation as Portugal's aggregate lead had evaporated and they only led on away goals (3-3). But Ronaldo turned up once again to douse the home team's hopes, as he scored his second of the night with another left-footed effort which was even applauded by Ibrahimovich.
Minutes later, Ronaldo completed his second hat-trick for Portugal as the match ceased to be a contest. In the process, Ronaldo became only the fourth Portuguese player (Eusébio, Pedro Pauleta and Nuno Gomes being the others), to score multiple hat-tricks for the A. Selecao.
#1: Northern Ireland 2-4 Portugal in Belfast, 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier
In a key 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying game, Portugal travelled to Belfast to face Northern Ireland in a game Portugal couldn't afford to lose in order to stay in contention.
After Bruno Alves opened the scoring for the visitors, goals from Gareth McAuley and Jamie Ward provided a 2-1 lead to the hosts. Ronaldo's header midway through the second half restored parity. Another header from the talismanic player restored Portugal's lead 13 minutes from time.
The three points were rubber-stamped when Ronaldo scored a fine free-kick to bulge the Northern Irish net, in the process scoring his first ever hat-trick for Portugal.
