LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo was hugged by a fan and Portugal smothered Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0 for a third win in as many qualifiers for the 2024 European Championship on Saturday.
Midfielder Bruno Fernandes scored twice and set up Bernardo Silva to break a deadlock in minute 44 of an evenly disputed first half.
Fernandes put the result beyond doubt with goals in the 77th and stoppage time.
Ronaldo, making his 199th appearance for Portugal, didn't add to the men’s record of 122 international goals, but he featured in a touching moment when a fan rushed onto the field waving a Portuguese flag. The man gave Ronaldo a bear hug and lifted him high. Ronaldo embraced him as well, before the fan scampered off to avoid the security guards.
Portugal leads Group J with nine points, two more than Slovakia, which beat Iceland 2-1.
This was the third game since former Belgium coach Roberto Martínez took over following the departure of Fernando Santos after the World Cup. Portugal beat minnows Luxembourg and Liechtenstein in Martínez’s first two games. His team has yet to concede a goal on his watch.
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