The scrum of photographers facing the Portugal bench during the anthems made it perfectly clear where everyone thought the story was before kick-off.
After sticking out his bottom lip during the warm-up like a toddler about to have a tantrum, Cristiano Ronaldo stood and sang in his yellow bib before slumping in his seat, knees out and arms folded, in a teenager-style sulk.
He was part of the Portuguese scrum who ran onto the pitch after Ramos’ opening goal — he wasn’t the first to get there obviously, don’t be daft — and made a great play of congratulating his team-mates. More exaggerated reactions followed — hands behind his head, shorts rolled up, a quick look up at the big screen — and there was another stroll down the touchline when Portugal doubled their lead.
In first-half stoppage time, he wandered over to the officials’ little dugout on the halfway line, leant against it for a minute or so and then bombed off down the tunnel as soon as the whistle blew.
Ronaldo was at the other end of the pitch doing a few stretches when Ramos scored his second of the night, and he just stood and clapped — a stationary bystander — after Guerreiro slotted home the glorious fourth.
“Ronaldo! Ronaldo!” chanted the crowd on the hour-mark, and again after 61 and 63 minutes, and then Ramos completed his hat-trick to remind them that this is 2022 and a new star is born.
The biggest cheer of the evening accompanied the man in the Portugal No 7 shirt emerging from the dugout, however, and on he trotted for the final 17 minutes — after taking the armband from Pepe, of course.
A free kick straight into the wall and a goal correctly disallowed for offside… sometimes it’s just not your night.
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