Cristiano Ronaldo sent ripples of ecstasy on social media as he became the first footballer ever to score 10 international hat-tricks during Portugal's dominant 5-0 win over Luxembourg in their Group A World Cup qualifying clash at the Algarve Stadium.
While some called him the most "clutch athlete'' in sports history, others declared his feat as "unreal" before calling him the "greatest of all time".
Meanwhile, British broadcaster Piers Morgan dubbed his heroics against Luxembourg "insane", while a few began to compare his display with those of his great rival Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo supporters also emphasised the fact that if the Argentina skipper had put up such a stunning show, he would have got more praise than the 36-year-old Manchester United ace.
While some called him the most "clutch athlete'' in sports history, others declared his feat as "unreal" before calling him the "greatest of all time".
Meanwhile, British broadcaster Piers Morgan dubbed his heroics against Luxembourg "insane", while a few began to compare his display with those of his great rival Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo supporters also emphasised the fact that if the Argentina skipper had put up such a stunning show, he would have got more praise than the 36-year-old Manchester United ace.
Other admirers relied on statistics to prove that Ronaldo is better than Messi as he has more international goals than the PSG star and Diego Maradona combined.
Messi and Maradona's goals add up to 114, while Ronaldo alone has 115 goals for his country.
It was Ronaldo's 182nd appearance for Portugal and with their lopsided triumph over Luxembourg, they are now second in Group A with 16 points, just a point behind Serbia who have 17 points.
It was Ronaldo's 182nd appearance for Portugal and with their lopsided triumph over Luxembourg, they are now second in Group A with 16 points, just a point behind Serbia who have 17 points.