Cavani sends Uruguay to World Cup last eight as Portugal bow out

At 33, he may never again have the chance to lift a World Cup, joining Lionel Messi, who crashed out hours before with Argentina, as harboring forlorn hopes of taking his national team to the highest level.

Selecao threw on Ricardo Queresma and Andre Silva as they pushed for an equaliser, while Uruguay were dealt a blow when Cavani was forced off with 15 minutes. The second goal Cavani scored was a finessed shot from the left side of the box in the 62nd minute.

The opening goal against Portugal was the first time this World Cup we saw the full extent of just what a fully unleashed Cavani and Suarez might be capable of doing.

62' - GOAL! Uruguay 2-1 Portugal: Wow, wow, WOW!

Superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez will go toe-to-toe when Uruguay and Portugal lock horns in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup at the Fisht Stadium on Saturday.

While Cavani stole the headlines with his match-winning brace, defensive midfielder Torreira played a huge role in Uruguay's win, breaking up any number of Portugal attacks.

Defenders: Martin Caceres (Lazio), Sebastian Coates (Sporting), Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid), Maximiliano Pereira (Porto), Gaston Silva (Independiente), Guillermo Varela (Penarol).

Cavani and Luis Suarez unlocked the Portuguese defense early with two incredible cross-field passes. And we didn't have to wait too long for another goal, as Uruguay's Cavani scored a second goal just seven minutes later.

The Uruguayans managed to hold out until the final whistle to book their spot in the last eight. In between all of the gorgeous goals, ugly own goals, and remarkable upsets, Ronaldo helping Cavani get off the field will likely go down as one of the tournament's most memorable moments. A beauty of a passing display led to an early Edinson Cavani goal that put them up 1-0.

Ronaldo will be three months short of his 38th birthday when Qatar 2022 kicks off, but, while it remains to be seen if he will be there, Portugal coach Fernando Santos is confident his captain will continue beyond Russian Federation.

There are many possible factors for Europe's grip on the World Cup, but South America's contribution to the world game is at least on a par with Europe, with so many of its players starring for European clubs.

Stopping Ronaldo. It was that simple for Uruguay.