Roberto Martinez hailed Portugal’s players for stepping up and showing leadership in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo in their 9-1 drubbing of Armenia.

Ronaldo was sent off in Portugal’s 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Thursday, but Martinez’s side responded in stunning fashion to book their place at the 2026 World Cup.

Questions had been raised about where the goals would come from in Ronaldo’s absence, but Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves both netted hat-tricks, with Renato Veiga, Goncalo Ramos and Francisco Conceicao also on the scoresheet.

It was the first treble that Fernandes had netted for his country, while Neves had never before hit the back of the net for Portugal, who claimed their biggest ever win in World Cup qualifying.

And Martinez praised his side for showing what they can do even without their captain and record goalscorer.

“When we talk about players individually, it’s not just about Ronaldo, it’s about everyone,” Martinez said.

“We have a group of 10 more outfield players, making 25, and they all bring something different; they can all be important. Cris is always a matter of public opinion. When he scores, people ask what we’re going to do when he’s not there; they say there’s a dependency.

“When he doesn’t play, and we win, it’s ‘Who needs him…’. One thing is the popular, street debate, and another is the competitiveness in the locker room.

“What was important was having leadership: Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva were very important in that. Leadership isn’t just one player; there are several, and we scored nine and had more opportunities, but we also had the best left-back [Nuno Mendes], who didn’t play.

“Pedro Neto played every game since the Nations League, and he didn’t play either. We have many options, and it’s important to win when important players aren’t with us.”

Portugal will play in their 10th World Cup next year, and their seventh in a row, with the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico set to be Ronaldo’s final appearance at a major international competition.

Their best-ever finish came back in 1966, when they placed third, but Martinez wants to walk away with the trophy in 2026.

“I can explain with a desire to win the game, and not know how,” Martinez added.

“It is this aspect that helps prepare the team for the World Cup. When we qualified for Euro 2024, the team lacked the resilience needed to win titles. In the Nations League, it was different.

“We have to prepare well for the World Cup. The expectation is to give everything and use the values of the Portuguese people on the pitch.

“The Selecao does this with talent. We will try to win the World Cup. It has never been done, and it is not easy. We have to be together.”