A goal made in Manchester! Diogo Dalot sets up United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo for his 112th Portugal strike before Jose Fonte and Andre Silva each net in friendly win over 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar
- Cristiano Ronaldo considered his goal-laden start to the season against Qatar
- Portugal made light work of the 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts in this friendly
- Jose Fonte and Andre Silva added goals to thee display which Ronaldo started
Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 112th goal for Portugal as he starred in a routine friendly win against Qatar.
The 2022 World Cup hosts were handed a sobering reminder of just how big the task will be next winter when they come up against elite opposition.
Ronaldo, teed up by Manchester United team-mate Diogo Dalot, set Portugal on their way before former Southampton defender Jose Fonte bundled in a second before the half-time whistle.
Andre Silva capped off a comfortable evening with a third late on.
The build-up to this friendly saw Portugal boss Fernando Santos take a cheap shot at Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for not starting Ronaldo against Everton.
Santos said: 'He (Ronaldo) will go to the game (against Qatar) because he needs playing time. It's important to him at this stage.
'The last full game he played was in the Champions League (against Villarreal on September 29). If he only plays against Luxembourg, he will have practically 15 days without playing with intensity.'
In turn, Santos used Ronaldo from the start against Qatar and as he often he is, he was rewarded.
It was a goal made in Manchester that put Portugal ahead - and saw Ronaldo net against a 46th different nation.
Full-back Diogo Dalot was picked out and he knocked back into the area towards Ronaldo in the six-yard box.
A Qatari defender completely fluffed his clearance, comically so, and Ronaldo was never going to miss from five yards out, stabbing in for 1-0 before producing his trademark 'siuuu' celebration for an excitable crowd.
International goal No 112 doesn't seem to feel any less sweet and Ronaldo will now be looking at a final crack at World Cup glory next winter with Qatar.
Fonte got in on the act in the Algarve before the interval to make it 2-0 and Andre Silva was able to celebrate a goal of his own for 3-0.
But this was all about Ronaldo and a reminder, if Solskjaer needed one, that it's always better to start with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.