Portugal’s performances in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo continue to spark debate, especially after their stunning 9–1 victory over Armenia in the final round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The result revived discussions about how much “A Seleção” depend on their iconic captain, and whether the team’s collective rhythm changes when Ronaldo is not part of the starting lineup.
This report highlights the major matches where Portugal excelled without their all-time top scorer and examines the technical reactions surrounding this ongoing debate.
The Portuguese national team has once again reignited discussion surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo’s influence on the squad, following their overwhelming 9–1 win against Armenia in the final fixture of the European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The dominant performance fueled a familiar question: How much does Portugal rely on Ronaldo — and what truly happens when he isn’t there?
Despite Ronaldo’s unmatched scoring legacy — both for Al Nassr and Portugal — and his relentless march toward the historic target of 1,000 career goals, now standing at 953, an interesting trend continues to surface. Portugal often record some of their most dominant victories when their captain is absent, a pattern that has fueled debate among fans, analysts and even coaching staff.
The Armenia match reinforced that discussion. Without their star forward, Portugal delivered a fluid, aggressive performance from the opening whistle. Bruno Fernandes led the side superbly, dictating the tempo and orchestrating attacks, while the team’s high pressing forced Armenia into repeated defensive errors. The squad’s movement, cohesion, and collective intensity stood out as they effectively settled the match before halftime.
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Martínez Responds: “We Are Better With Ronaldo”
Head coach Roberto Martínez remains firm in his stance regarding Ronaldo’s importance to the national team. After the Armenia victory, he was asked directly whether Portugal perform better without the legendary No. 7 — a narrative that surfaces each time the team wins big in his absence.
Martínez dismissed the idea with confidence:“No, we’re better when Cristiano Ronaldo, Nuno Mendes and Pedro Neto are available. Football is a game of challenges and mistakes. When players are missing, we must find a way to win. Of course we want all our key players, but we also trust the squad and know we can win even when some names are unavailable.”
This defense is not new. During EURO 2024 — a tournament where Ronaldo failed to score and contributed just one assist before Portugal were eliminated by France on penalties — criticism intensified. Yet Martínez consistently backed Ronaldo. His faith was later rewarded when the captain rediscovered his scoring form and helped Portugal win the 2025 UEFA Nations League.
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Portugal’s Biggest Results Without Cristiano Ronaldo
While Ronaldo has delivered countless iconic victories, some of Portugal’s largest triumphs ever were achieved without him on the pitch. In fact, the three biggest wins in Portuguese football history came during matches he did not play.
Here are the standout examples:
Portugal 8–0 Kuwait (Friendly, 2003)
Ronaldo was unavailable as he was with the U-21 squad.
Portugal 5–0 Gibraltar (Friendly, 2016)
Ronaldo missed the match due to injury.
Portugal 9–0 Luxembourg (EURO 2024 Qualifiers)
Ronaldo was suspended.
Portugal 9–1 Armenia (2026 World Cup Qualifiers)
Ronaldo was suspended again.
A more recent example came during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, when then-coach Fernando Santos benched Ronaldo for the knockout stages in a bold and controversial decision. Portugal responded with a remarkable 6–1 victory over Switzerland in the round of 16 — a match in which Gonçalo Ramos scored a sensational hat-trick.
