Cristiano Ronaldo Sets Aside Off-field Woes To Score Memorable Hat-trick Against Spain

Cristiano Ronaldo's brilliant hat-trick for Portugal that lit up the World Cup on Friday capped one of the most extraordinary days in his remarkable career. 

In the afternoon, news broke in Spain that the Portuguese superstar has agreed to pay a huge, multi-million euro fine to settle a tax fraud claim, before his goals secured a 3-3 draw against the Spanish in one of the most memorable World Cup games in recent memory.

It was Ronaldo's last effort – a stunning, 88th-minute free-kick – that clinched a precious point for the European champions in their Group B opener against a Spain side whose line-up in Sochi featured three of his club colleagues at Real Madrid.
His long-running problems with the Spanish taxman relate to allegations that he used companies in low-tax foreign jurisdictions -- notably the British Virgin Islands and Ireland -- to avoid having to pay tax otherwise due.

Ronaldo has had the case hanging over him since he appeared in court last July near Madrid to answer four counts of tax evasion.
Yet it has not had any major impact on his on-field performances. In fact the effect seems to have been the opposite.

Ronaldo made brief remarks to a FIFA press officer after the game but left before media could ask questions about his legal problems.
A legal source in Madrid said he had agreed to pay 18.8 million euros ($20 million) to settle the tax issue.

The agreement still has to be ratified and will likely come with a two-year jail term -- although sentences of up to two years are not generally served in Spain.
But Ronaldo appears fully focused on matters on the field in Russia.

"The World Cup has only just begun. Portugal are hoping to get through the first round," he said, with matches against Morocco and Iran to come next.
"We are not the favourites but we are contenders and we will do as well as we can."

Reference: FirstPost