Portugal Achieves Biggest-Ever Win Without Ronaldo
In an impressive display of dominance, Portugal secured their largest-ever victory in a competitive game with a resounding 9-0 triumph over Luxembourg in the European Championship qualifying match on Monday. Cristiano Ronaldo, the top scorer in men’s internationals, was suspended due to accumulated yellow cards in previous Group J games. However, his absence did not hinder Portugal’s success as Goncalo Ramos, Goncalo Inacio, and Diogo Jota each netted two goals, while Ricardo Horta, Bruno Fernandes, and Joao Felix also found the back of the net in the Algarve.
Coach Roberto Martinez expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, noting that even with a comfortable lead of 4-0 or 5-0, Portugal continued to play with the same intensity and focus as if it were a scoreless match. He commended the players’ values and their essential respect for the team.
Ronaldo, at 38 years old and with 123 international goals to his name, missed a valuable opportunity to increase his tally but will have four more chances in a group that Portugal is currently dominating with six consecutive wins. No other team has achieved as many victories in the qualifying stage.
Portugal remains five points ahead of Slovakia and has an eight-point lead over Luxembourg. The top two teams in each group will automatically qualify for the European Championship.
Goncalo Ramos, who stepped into Ronaldo’s shoes as his replacement, showed his talent in a similar situation at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In a bold decision by former coach Fernando Santos, Ronaldo was benched for the match against Switzerland in the round of 16. Ramos seized the opportunity and delivered a hat trick, making a strong impression on the football world. Following his move from Benfica to Paris Saint-Germain, Ramos might be the long-term successor to Ronaldo in Portugal’s national team, which is undoubtedly heading to Euro 2024.
It is worth noting that Germany’s 13-0 victory over San Marino in 2006 still holds the record for the largest-ever win in European Championship qualifying matches.
Group Results
Elsewhere in the group, Slovakia claimed a 3-0 victory over Liechtenstein, while Iceland secured a 1-0 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Drone Incident
In Group D, Croatia achieved a 1-0 victory over Armenia in Yerevan, although the game was briefly interrupted during the first half. A drone carrying the flag of Nagorno-Karabakh, a breakaway Armenian-populated region of Azerbaijan, flew over the field, resulting in cheers and applause from many home fans. This incident occurred amidst escalating tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, sparked by the election of a new separatist president in the region known as Artsakh by Armenians. The Azerbaijani authorities strongly condemned this move. UEFA is likely to launch a disciplinary case against the incident, as it is considered a political statement during a game.
This is not the first time a drone incident has occurred during a European Championship qualifier. In 2014, a drone carrying a political banner disrupted a match between Albania and Serbia in Belgrade, leading to clashes among players and violent acts from Serbian fans. Initially, UEFA awarded Serbia a default 3-0 victory, but the decision was later reversed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Croatia’s win over Armenia propelled them to the top of Group D standings. Andrej Kramaric secured the victory with an early goal, redirecting a deflected corner from Luka Modric into the net. Following a disappointing 1-1 draw with Wales in their opening match, Croatia has now won three consecutive games and surpassed Turkey in the group standings based on goal difference, despite having played one game fewer.
Wales also celebrated success with a 2-0 win over Latvia, thanks to goals from Aaron Ramsey and David Brooks. This victory brought Wales level with Armenia on seven points, trailing Croatia and Turkey by three points. The win was undoubtedly a relief for Wales coach Robert Page, who faced mounting pressure following consecutive defeats against Armenia and Turkey in the group.
