Portugal routs Luxembourg in record 9-0 win without suspended Ronaldo

In Euro 2024 qualifiers, Portugal 9-0 Luxembourg, Ramos, Inacio, Jota score twice; Ronaldo misses game through suspension. Roberto Martinez pleased team kept playing same way despite big lead. Croatia 1-0 Armenia, Kramaric goal seals win; Wales 2-0 Latvia, Ramsey, Brooks score. Portugal dominates Group J, Croatia top Group D, Wales 3rd.

Portugal didn't need Cristiano Ronaldo to rack up its biggest-ever win in a competitive game.

A 9-0 rout of Luxembourg in European Championship qualifying on Monday was achieved without Ronaldo, who was suspended because of an accumulation of yellow cards in earlier Group J games.

In the absence of the five-time world player of the year and record scorer in men's internationals, Goncalo Ramos, Goncalo Inacio and Diogo Jota all scored twice along with goals for Ricardo Horta, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix in the Algarve.

“It was a satisfactory aspect that, being 4-0 or 5-0 up, the team kept playing the same way as if it was 0-0,” Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said. "When you get that, it shows you the values of the players and that the respect toward the team is essential — that was really good to see.”

The 38-year-old Ronaldo missed a great chance to add to his haul of 123 international goals but there'll be four more opportunities in a group that Portugal is dominating with six straight wins. No other team has that many victories in qualifying.

Martinez's team stayed five points ahead of Slovakia and moved eight ahead of Luxembourg. The top two in each group qualify automatically.

Ramos scored two of the team's first three goals as Ronaldo's replacement, a role he seems to thrive in.