Cristiano Ronaldo was a non-factor in the game for 80 minutes, but he would finally make it his night against Ireland in the closing stages.
The Portuguese star scored two late goals to secure a win for his side, breaking the international goalscoring record in the process. His 111 international strikes now put him two ahead of Iran's Daei.
Few outside this country will remember this fixture for any other reason, but Ireland put in a fantastic performance. They were so unfortunate not to come away with even a point.
Now, this will be Ronaldo's night.
The man of the moment gave an interview to RTÉ's Tony O'Donoghue after the game, speaking about his feelings about breaking Daei's record. However, he didn't seem all that interested in speaking to the Irish broadcaster.
That was proven when after answering one question, the 36-year old walked off while O'Donoghue was still asking his second.
🇵🇹 2-1 🇮🇪
Cristiano Ronaldo tells @Corktod he always believed Portugal could come back against Ireland before making a swift exit.#PORIRL #WorldCup2022 #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/Hu4WfGJntR— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) September 1, 2021
He won't be getting an invite onto The Late Late Show anytime soon after that.
While Manchester United fans were given a glimpse at what Ronaldo is still capable of tonight, this was no doubt a heartbreaking evening for Ireland supporters.
It was a game that they led for the majority of, something they were good value for. It is a performance that they now need to build on going forward.
They certainly won't have time to lick their wounds for too long, with a game against Azerbaijan on the horizon on Saturday evening.
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