Portugal’s 40-year-old maestro extends his record international goal tally to 140
Cristiano Ronaldo took the “first step” towards his last World Cup tournament and the only chance left to win it as Portugal began their qualifying campaign with a comfortable 5-0 victory over Armenia in Yerevan on Saturday.
Ronaldo and Joao Felix both scored twice, while Joao Cancelo was also on target, as Roberto Martinez’s side got off to a flying start in Group F.
Felix opened the scoring after 10 minutes, heading in from Cancelo’s cross. Ronaldo doubled the lead midway through the first half, sweeping home from close range after Pedro Neto curled a tantalising ball into the box.
Cancelo added a third before the break, finishing from a Felix cut-back to leave the hosts with little hope of recovery.
Any prospect of an Armenian response was ended very early in the second half when Ronaldo struck again to get his 140th international goal, this time with a powerful volley from distance that goalkeeper Henri Avagyan could only help into the net.
Felix rounded off the scoring just after the hour, reacting quickest to a loose ball inside the box and improvising with a flick to make it 5-0.
Portugal eased off in the closing stages but still forced Avagyan into a couple of late saves. Armenia offered little in attack and struggled to cope with the pace and movement of Portugal’s forwards.
