Luis Figo tries to make progress (Allsport).

By Martyn Ziegler, PA Chief Sports Reporter, Jeonju

Pauleta scored a hat-trick as Portugal's 4-0 victory put dismal Poland out of the World Cup.

The Bordeaux striker, the reigning Footballer of the Year in France, could have even doubled that total as the Poles, beaten by South Korea in their opening Group D clash, bade a welcome farewell to the competition on a rain-soaked night in Jeonju.

But the Portuguese were still well short of top gear and will need to beat South Korea in their final group game to ensure they qualify for the second phase.

There was only going to be one winner once Pauleta stepped inside Tomasz Hajto on 14 minutes and rifled in a right-foot shot that beat Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek at his near post.

Poland offered little in attack and it was no surprise when they went two down on 65 minutes as Luis Figo's low cross was turned in by the alert Pauleta.

Forced to pile men forward, Poland were now ripe to suffer a hiding and Pauleta completed his hat-ttick in style, picking up Rui Costa's pass and tricking his way past Waldoch before blasting an angled shot past the exposed Dudek.

Rui Costa, surprisingly dropped to the bench, justified his replacing Joao Pinto with the fourth, turning in Nuno Capucho's skidding centre with the Polish defence AWOL.

Rui Costa had a shot cleared off the line and Pauleta shot into the side-netting, both after they had rounded the desperate Dudek, as the final total could have easily been six or seven.

But such a comprehensive win may still not be enough to stop the Euro 2000 semi-finalists going home early by the end of the week.

Teams

Portugal: Baia, Costa, Couto, Jorge, Figo, Petit, Bento, Frechaut (Beto 63), Sergio Conceicao (Capucho 69), Pauleta, Pinto (Rui Costa 60).

Subs Not Used: Andrade, Barbosa, Caneira, Nelson, Nuno Gomes, Ricardo, Sousa, Viana, Xavier.

Booked: Frechaut, Costa, Jorge.

Goals: Pauleta 14, 65, 77, Rui Costa 87.

Poland: Dudek, Kozminski, Waldoch, Hajto, Michal Zewlakow (Rzasa 71), Kryszalowicz, Swierczewski, Kaluzny (Arkadiusz Bak 16), Krzynowek, Olisadebe, Zurawski (Marcin Zewlakow 56).

Subs Not Used: Jacek Bak, Glowacki, Klos, Kucharski, Majdan, Matysek, Murawski, Sibik, Zielinski.

Booked: Swierczewski, Arkadiusz Bak.

Att: 31,000

Ref: H Dallas (Scotland).