PICTURE: CR7 – Born In Portugal, Made In Manchester

Portugal booked their place in the World Cup last night thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Iberian side’s captain stood up to be counted when needed and hit a hat trick to drag his side to Brazil next summer.

The build up to Portugal’s games with Sweden were dominated by the Ronaldo vs Ibrahimovic battle, dubbed the Best vs The Beast.

And last night it looked like Ibrahimovic would come out on top with a brace to cancel out Ronaldo’s opener and putting his side in the driving seat, but the former United man struck twice to cement Portugal’s place in the World Cup.

Whilst a Real Madrid player, United fans take pleasure in seeing Ronaldo succeed. He came to United as a boy, and under Sir Alex Ferguson’s tutelage he blossomed into one of the best players in the world.

The upcoming Balon D’Or awards should confirm what most football fans know, Ronaldo is the outstanding player in the world right now and Manchester United can be proud of the huge part they played in that.