In the 39th minute, Figo executed a series of feints on the right flank before accelerating past Xavi.
Age aside, against Figo, Xavi was simply outmatched.
Mariano stepped in to help.
But Figo burst past him with a sharp Vertical Burst. Mariano was beaten instantly, though he managed to recover and chase back.
Still, Figo was no longer in his prime.
Thud!
He stopped abruptly, restarted, and whipped in a cross before Mariano could fully close him down. Mariano had caught up, but Figo's sudden stop blocked him, and although Mariano stretched out his leg, the ball sailed just over his toes.
That was the passing mastery of a true elite like Figo.
If he wanted to deliver a pass, you weren't stopping him.
Who cares how fast you are?
A veteran is still a veteran".
Inside the box, Ibáñez read the drop point and prepared to clear.
But Cristiano Ronaldo suddenly charged past him from behind, leaping early and leaning forward, using his body to block Ibáñez from reaching the ball.
Ibáñez instinctively pushed Cristiano Ronaldo with his hand, then immediately realized his mistake and tried to pull back—
too late.
Cristiano Ronaldo fell in the box as the ball skimmed over Ibáñez's head.
The referee blew the whistle—
another penalty!
Ibáñez rushed over to protest, but just as before, the referee waved away Spain's complaints.
"Oh! Penalty! Portugal earns one of their own!"
"And it's extremely similar to the previous one—both created deliberately by the attackers!"
"Su Hang intentionally hooked toward Carvalho earlier, but he touched the ball first, so his attacking action came before Carvalho's challenge."
"So even if he was trying to draw the foul, the referee still had to give it."
"Likewise here, even without Ibáñez's touch, Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn't have reached the ball. With the way he jumped—leaning forward—he likely would've fallen anyway."
"Ibáñez didn't touch him, and his center of gravity was still off."
"But Cristiano Ronaldo's brilliance lies in daring to jump that way—daring to give up balance, daring to throw himself into Ibáñez's path."
"When Ibáñez saw someone jumping higher right in front of him, his instinct was to react. The moment he did, he realized he'd been baited."
But everything was already decided.
Figo stepped up and calmly struck the penalty into Spain's goal.
"GOAL! Figo!"
"Portugal's King versus Spain's Captain! Figo brings Portugal level!"
"And half the credit belongs to Cristiano Ronaldo for earning that penalty!"
"If Figo alone struggles against the younger Su Hang, then with Cristiano Ronaldo added to the mix—how do you stop both?"
One-one. The match was back to square one.
And Portugal had seized the momentum.
In the 41st minute, Cristiano Ronaldo returned to the left flank. His byline Cross attempt was blocked by Sergio Ramos.
Ramos finally showed some backbone.
In the 42nd minute, Cristiano Ronaldo broke through the double-team of Sergio Ramos and Alonso, cut sharply inside, used his movement to block off Senna recovering, and unleashed a high-quality long-range shot right in front of Ibáñez.
Luckily, Cañizares was in outstanding form, parrying the ball away—conceding a corner instead of a goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo shook his head, unhappy with himself.
He had no idea that this sequence—dribbling past four defenders—would one day become a rare gem in his career highlight reel.
In the 43rd minute, Figo sent in a through ball. Cristiano Ronaldo burst through the channel, drove forward a few steps, and fired a long-range shot that flew just over the crossbar.
As a strike, it was excellent—
a perfect display of Cristiano Ronaldo's individual skill.
But tactically, the attack was too direct. He lacked patience there.
In the 45th minute, Figo dribbled repeatedly, cut inside, and—while losing balance—curled a shot that struck Puyol's shoulder.
Figo raised his hand immediately, signaling handball.
Portuguese players surrounded the referee, demanding another penalty.
But the referee, firm and composed, dispersed them and made the correct call.
Finally, after Su Hang's header flew over the crossbar, the first half came to an end.
The two sides had traded blows relentlessly, producing the highest number of attacking sequences ever recorded in a World Cup half.
Many full matches didn't even reach half the number of attacks featured in this Iberian clash.
The pitch had become a stage for both teams' attackers, each showcasing their talents with abandon.
Threatening chances, shots, and defensive contributions were nearly identical between the teams.
Portugal held a slight edge overall, especially with Cristiano Ronaldo and Figo attacking simultaneously from both flanks—putting on a dual super-star display.
Spain, meanwhile, excelled through cohesion, producing slightly better defensive numbers.
And Su Hang, as a complete center forward, shone on both ends of the pitch.
During the break, Queiroz remarked,
"If Cristiano Ronaldo, Su Hang, and Figo played on the same team, they would form a flawless, divine front three."
At halftime, neither coach made adjustments.
Both believed their teams were performing at peak form—playing their most dangerous and perfect football of the tournament.
They were convinced that continuing exactly like this would bring more goals.
Neither wanted to disrupt their team's chemistry just to counter the opponent.
Both sides were playing with exceptional synergy—better than in any previous match.
...
In the second half, Spain struck first.
Garcia drifted left, played a one-two with Su Hang, broke into the box, and fired a low shot that the Portuguese keeper pushed aside.
In the 48th minute, Spain pushed forward in numbers.
Xavi dribbled down the left with a Stepover, feinted a shot, and slipped the ball to Su Hang.
Su Hang received, turned, and hammered a shot in one smooth movement.
But Ricardo responded with a world-class save, denying him again.
On the sidelines, Aragonés and Simón sank to their knees, convinced Portugal's keeper must be taking performance enhancers.
Portugal's coach, of course, had earlier expressed similar suspicions about Spain's own keeper, Cañizares.
In the 52nd minute, Figo launched another attack with a piercing through ball.
Paulo Nuno held off Ibáñez inside the box, received the ball, spun halfway, and fired a strong shot.
Unfortunately, the angle was too tight, and the ball hit the side netting.
Compared to Su Hang's constant highlights, this was almost Pauleta's only standout moment in the match.
Had he shown this level of intensity earlier, Portugal wouldn't have only one goal.