Roberto Martinez Makes Cristiano Ronaldo Claim after Portugal Win 9-1 Without Him

Roberto Martinez was clear with his response when asked if Portugal were a better team without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo - after battering Armenia 9-1 without him.

Portugal have confirmed their place at next summer's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico with an emphatic victory over Armenia in Porto to top Group F.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes netted a hat-trick in the game, with two of those goals coming from the penalty spot.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves also scored a hat-trick, while further goals from Renato Veiga, Goncalo Ramos and Francisco Conceicao completed the rout.

Eduard Spertsyan had levelled for Armenia before 20 minutes to cancel out Veiga's opener, before the hosts ruthlessly dismantled their opponents.

Ronaldo was suspended for the final group game after being sent off in Portugal's shock 2-0 loss away to the Republic of Ireland last week for elbowing defender Dara O'Shea.

Ronaldo is Portugal's all-time leading top scorer and has the most caps for the Iberian Peninsula nation, with 143 goals in 226 appearances so far for his country.

Ronaldo won Euro 2016 and has two Nations League crowns with Portugal, the most recent of which was won last summer with a 2-1 victory over rivals Spain.

The World Cup is the one major honour which has eluded him so far in his illustrious career, and he has recently confirmed next summer's tournament will be his last after suggesting he will retire from football in the next few years.

Roberto Martinez and Cristiano Ronaldo. (Image: Getty)

In the aftermath of his side's thrashing of Armenia without the services of Ronaldo to call upon, Portugal boss Martinez was asked if his side are a better team without his captain.

And the former Wigan Athletic and Everton boss was emphatic that his team are superior with the likes of Ronaldo, Paris Saint-Germain defender Nuno Mendes and Chelsea's Pedro Neto playing.

Martinez said: "No, we are better with Ronaldo, Nuno Mendes, and Pedro Neto.

"The most important thing is that football is a game of mistakes, challenges, and resilience, and when some players are not present, we have to find a way to win.

"I believe the key is to have all the important players, but also to have confidence and a clear idea that we can win even when some players are not in the starting line-up."

Ronaldo himself has now reacted to Portugal's qualification with a short message on social media.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner wrote: "We're in the World Cup! Let's go, Portugal!"

Next summer's tournament will be the sixth World Cup Ronaldo is due to feature in, with the best finish in that time being the fourth place achieved in 2006.