TEHRAN – Skipper Luis Figo set up both goals Portugal scored against Iran in Frankfurt, west of Germany, Saturday to advance to the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup finals.

Man of the Match Deco fired home a Figo cross from 25 meters with an unstoppable right drive after 63 minutes and Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo converted a spot-kick ten minutes from time when Figo was brought down by his opposite number Yahya Golmohammadi.

The result that sent the Asian team packing was surely appealing to Portugal manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, who Friday said a half-nil win would please him.

A transformed keeper Ebrahim Mirzapur making a handful of good saves played a big role in holding the European heavyweight Portugal until the hour mark.

Deco cupped his face on 12 minutes when his sizzling left drive from close range was palmed away by Mirzapur.

Iran’s pocket defender Hossein Ka’bi gatecrashed Ronaldo’s party in the 34th minute, chesting down a goal-bound header at the near post.

Ronaldo duped his marker one minute later, but this time his angled left shot shaved the near post, kissing the side net.

Ka’bi escaped a likely red card for a studs-up taekwondo-like kick on skipper Luis Figo’s cheek in the 36th minute.

Mirzapur sent the two sides to the locker room with a nil-nil result, diving to send a Miguel drive out one minute from the interval.

In two rare attacks, Iran had the chances to secure the parity as substitute Rasul Khatibi failed to beat keeper Ricardo in a one-on-one challenge on 72 minutes and Hanover striker Vahid Hashemian forced a save from Ricardo with a glancing header seven minutes later.

In their last first-round games Wednesday, Iran plays debutant Angola in Leipzig and Portugal arrays against Mexico in Gelsenkirchen.