Portugal reject Cristiano Ronaldo theory after record-breaking win makes boss storm off

Portugal boss Roberto Martinez has jumped to the defence of the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo after his team booked their place at Euro 2024 without him.

Seleccao das Quinas recorded their biggest-ever win by beating Luxembourg 9-0 on Monday, with Bruno Fernandes scoring one and providing three assists. Diogo Jota, Goncalo Ramos and Goncalo Inacio grabbed a brace each, while Joao Felix and Ricardo Horta also found the net at the Estadio Algarve.

It all proved to be too much for Luxembourg boss Luc Holtz, who left the bench and headed down the tunnel when Fernandes made it 8-0 in the 83rd minute.

Portugal did an impressive job without Ronaldo, who missed the game after being shown a yellow card in their victory over Slovakia on Friday. It was the 38-year-old’s third booking of the current qualifying campaign, meaning he would have to serve a one-match ban.

In his absence, Ramos started up front and impressed, while Jota came into the side and added another dimension to Portugal’s front-line. After his side’s win, Martinez heaped praised on the duo and also admitted they are “ready to win” when Ronaldo is now not involved.

“Gonçalo Ramos showed today what he can do, and Diogo Jota did the same,” Martinez said. “We need players who have the level to win games. The group is special. We don’t need to compare them. Cristiano is important, but our team is ready to win without him.”

When asked about whether Portugal perform better without Ronaldo, Martinez added: “No. Cristiano is a very important element for this team, Ronaldo has experience and a way of his own.

“We don’t need to cause controversy. Ronaldo as well as Pepe. They have an infectious way of working and give our team important value.”