Without Ronaldo, Portugal defeats Luxembourg 9-0 for a record victory; drone delays Armenia-Croatia.
Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't necessary for Portugal to record its biggest victory in a competitive match.
Without Ronaldo, who missed the European Championship qualifier against Luxembourg on Monday due to a suspension for receiving multiple yellow cards in Group J games, the score was 9-0.
In the Algarve, Goncalo Ramos, Goncalo Inacio, and Diogo Jota all scored twice in the absence of the five-time world player of the year and all-time leading scorer in men's international competition.
It was pleasing that the team continued to play as if the score was 0-0 even after going up 4-0 or 5-0, according to Portugal coach Roberto Martinez. "When you get that, it shows you the values of the players and that respect towards the team is essential—that was really good to see."
In a group that Portugal is now dominating with six straight victories, Ronaldo, 38, will have four more chances to add to his total of 123 goals in international competition. No other team had as many wins in qualifying as they do.
Martinez's group increased their lead over Luxembourg to eight points while maintaining a five-point lead over Slovakia. The top two finishers in each group automatically qualify.
As Ronaldo's replacement, Ramos scored two of the team's first three goals, a position he appears to enjoy.
He did it most memorably during the World Cup in Qatar last year when Ronaldo was benched for the match against Switzerland in the round of 16 after Fernando Santos made a crucial decision.
In that match, Ramos scored three goals and made his football debut. Since then, he has finalised a transfer from Benfica to Paris Saint-Germain and may serve as Ronaldo's long-term replacement for Portugal's national team, which is undoubtedly going to Euro 2024. Ronaldo currently plays for Saudi Arabia.
