Football
ESPN staff 6y

Was Cristiano Ronaldo's celebration a claim to greatest of all time?

SOCHI, Russia -- Cristiano Ronaldo became the fourth player to score in four World Cups and stroked his chin as he ran in celebration after scoring the first of three goals against Spain on Friday.

The apparent message he delivered in his team's shock 3-3 come-from-behind draw against Spain? I'm the GOAT, not Lionel Messi.

GOAT is the acronym for "greatest of all time," and Adidas is running an advertisement featuring Messi with a real goat. Check out this photo shoot...

Ronaldo and Messi have been football's top players for the past decade and rivals in the Spanish Primera Division.

Ronaldo drew a penalty kick from Nacho Fernandez and converted in the fourth minute to put Portugal ahead of Spain in the World Cup on Friday night. He ran to a corner flag, leaped and broke into the chin-stroke.

He broke a 1-1 tie in the 44th minute with his 83rd international goal. Spain scored twice to retake the lead in the second half, but Ronaldo scored from a spectacular free kick late in the match to salvage a point for his team, marking another historic outing for the Real Madrid legend.

So maybe he is the GOAT. It's over to Messi now, whose Argentina side play Iceland on Saturday, and the Albiceleste talisman has some history on his side. On two occasions, Sept. 18, 2014 and Dec. 7, 2014, Messi has scored a hat trick the day after Ronaldo did.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.

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