Portugal talisman Cristiano Ronaldo ranked his display against Spain as his best ever at a World Cup after the attacker scored a stunning hat-trick in a 3-3 draw.

Ronaldo stole the headlines as he bagged a treble to deny Spain victory in their group opener.

The Real Madrid forward scored from the spot after two minutes, before adding a second via a drilled effort before the break.

Spain fought back to lead in the second half, but Ronaldo would haul Portugal back level with a rasping free-kick.

He said: "I'm happy - it's my best performance in a World Cup.

"I'm happy with the team too because we played well against one of the favourites to win the World Cup.

"I think the result was fair in the end."

Spain changed their manager just over 48 hours before facing their Iberian rivals but responded well to new boss Fernando Hierro as they battled back in Russia.

Hierro said the circumstances made it a difficult task, but praised his players' attitude as they look to reclaim the World Cup.

He added: "This situation has not been easy for me. But with you have the chance to work with a team with so many good players, young and experienced, it makes everything much easier. Everyone in the team and the staff had a good attitude, and I feel like I'm privileged."

"When you play against a player like Cristiano Ronaldo, that kind of thing can happen. Our team kept the ball well, but with Cristiano, one moment of inspiration can be enough."