Portugal defeated Liechtenstein 4-0 on Thursday and its captain, striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who broke the record for appearances by a national team, scored two goals in the match in Lisbon, valid for the qualifiers for the eurocup of 2024.
CR7 scored from the penalty spot, 6 minutes into the second half, and a free kick, at 18 minutes, to complete a rout that was opened by João Cancelo and Bernardo Silva.
The 38-year-old striker, now with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, made his 197th appearance for Portugal and surpassed Kuwaiti Bader Al-Mutawa, with whom he shared the record.
👽 @Cristiano #VesteABandeira #WearTheFlag pic.twitter.com/J6HDQ6XrMm
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) March 23, 2023
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is also the top scorer among all national teams since September 1, when he scored twice against Ireland and surpassed the 109 goals scored by Iranian Ali Daei. With the two goals this Thursday, the Portuguese player now has 120.
Portugal his new era under the command of Spanish coach Roberto Martínez begins with a quiet victory.
“It’s clear that you need to improve and get to know the players, but I’m very satisfied with what we’ve managed to do after just three days of work. I really liked the attitude of the group”, said Martínez after the match.
With the victory, Portugal took the lead in Group J of the Euro Cup Qualifiers ahead of Bosnia’s goal difference, which this Thursday beat Iceland 3-0. The Portuguese team continues its campaign on Sunday, against Luxembourg.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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