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Published 10:37 16 Jun 2018 BST
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After it, much of the talks was (rightly) about Ronaldo. Only two years on from being a significant factor in Portugal's success at Euro 2016, many again made the suggestion the 33-year-old had once again carried his country.
Speaking after the game, Ronaldo ignored such notions, instead stressing to reporters the importance of his team's performance.
"Above all we have to stress the efforts of the team,” Ronaldo told the media after the game.
"We showed that we will always fight to the end,” he added. “Spain dominated possession, they're one of the best sides in the world, but we believed until the end."
Usually, we read about Ronaldo's ego and tendency to make things about himself. Although it's completely fair that his performance in Sochi dominates the post-match headlines, his attempts to deflect the praise on to his teammates highlight why he's a worthy captain for his national side.
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