COMMENT: When Cristiano Ronaldo hit his perfect free-kick beyond the watchful and helpless David De Gea, it summed up what the Portuguese captain was all about: precision, class and a global match star. He is there in the biggest moments, and more often than not he delivers in crucial games when it matters.
The hat-trick on Friday night proved exactly why he is rated as one of the greatest of all time. Yes there are the stats to prove it, but the Real Madrid man now has full justification to why people rate him up there in the top 5, perhaps 3 in world football history.
The physical and technical attributes he possesses are down to hard work and he uses them to the greatest of advantages.
Think back to his header in the Champions League final of 2008. The leap he gained showed physical power along with the header to combine.
Also when he scored against Barcelona to clinch the La Liga title in 2012, the composure to take it past Victor Valdes and slot into an empty net.
For all of Spain's possession and short interchanging passing, they do not possess a superstar in their team, unlike Portugal or indeed Argentina.
One man who can change the course of a match for their country and who can raise hopes and expectations to a new level with just one player.
There are some that say Ronaldo has set the bar for Lionel Messi, but he is probably not thinking about the Barca' man's performance, he is thoroughly focused on himself and how far Portugal can go in this World Cup.
At 33, he is still performing to an elite level which is unsurprising given the dedication and willpower he has continued to display, both physically and mentally.
Years gone by he will be remembered as a truly elite physical football athlete who had a tremendous goal-scoring record, but also stood out in a team as the match-saviour/winner and who performed brilliantly in the biggest competitions.
He will encourage a new generation of players to combine physical and mental strength as well as having talent, and using hard-work to achieve their goals.
There is a long way to go of course, but Ronaldo has set the bar for others in the tournament to raise their level, and more importantly showed what it takes for those of the future to increase a footballer's longevity whilst becoming one of the best players in the world and producing it when it really matters.
