It was billed as a clash of the titans with Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the starring roles but at the end of the night Portugal's captain took the plaudits as his stunning hat-trick clinched a World Cup spot.

The drama took a long time coming but it was worth waiting for the second act with Ronaldo putting the visiting side ahead after the break only for Sweden skipper Ibrahimovic to score twice before the Portuguese had the last word with two more goals.

Ronaldo's heroics secured a 3-2 win on the night and, after his goal in Lisbon, a 4-2 aggregate playoff victory to secure a place at next year's finals in Brazil. Ronaldo also equaled Portugal's all-time goalscoring record of 47 held by Pauleta.