Cristiano Ronaldo 'Hunger' Makes Him the World's Best, Says Portugal's Mario Rui

Portugal left-back Mario Rui believes Cristiano Ronaldo's "hunger" for goals is what makes him the best player in the world. 

Rui was speaking after yet another Ronaldo masterclass on the international stage, where the 34-year-old notched a hat-trick in the 6-0 win over Lithuania in Thursday's UEFA 2020 European Championship qualifying contest.

After some recent questions about his performances at club level, it was an emphatic return to form for Ronaldo. Speaking about his team-mate, Rui said his ambition to achieve and score more separates him from the rest of the field, per A Bola (h/t Sacha Pisani of Goal).

"He is the best in the world, never tired of winning, wanting more, and it is this hunger that makes him what he is," said the Napoli man. "We are happy to have him on the team and I hope he will continue to give us joy as he has done so far."

Here are the highlights from the match, where Portugal took another step towards securing their position at the showpiece next summer:

Per B/R Football, netting hat-tricks on the international stage has become almost routine for the Juventus forward:

Despite the handsome win, Portugal have still not rubber-stamped their place at next summer's showpiece after Serbia beat Luxembourg on the same night. However, if Portugal can win in Luxembourg on Sunday, their spot will be secured.

With Ronaldo in this type of mood, there shouldn't be any hiccups for the European champions.

Prior to the game, manager Fernando Santos was asked about the condition of Ronaldo and was left miffed by the constant questions about the forward in his pre-match press conference. Afterwards, the Portugal boss said there was never any concerns about the player's fitness.

"A lot of people were asking about Cristiano—what I said was that he was able to play, that Cristiano was fine," noted Santos. "It [his performance] didn't surprise me. In fact, I am never surprised by Cristiano, I assure you. So, scoring a hat-trick was perfectly normal."

The goals took Ronaldo on to an incredible tally of 98 for Portugal. That means he's not only tantalisingly close to a century, but Ali Daei's record international tally of 109:

Per football writer Colin Millar, since turning 30 the forward has taken his productivity to new heights:

The opposition may have been modest for Portugal and Ronaldo on Thursday, yet you sense the forward felt as though he had something to prove after his issues at Juventus. He has been substituted by manager Maurizio Sarri in the previous two Bianconeri matches.

All eyes will be on Ronaldo on Sunday to see if he can net his 100th goal of a stunning international career. Next summer, a lot of responsibility will fall on his shoulders again if Portugal are to retain their European title.