"Insanely good without Ronaldo", "Cancelo was right" - Fans react as Cristiano Ronaldo-less Portugal thrash Sweden

Portugal romped to a 5-2 win against Sweden in a friendly on Thursday (March 21) with Cristiano Ronaldo sitting out the thrashing at the Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques.

Ronaldo, 39, was rested by Roberto Martinez amid an intense schedule for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr. He wasn't given the chance to add to his tally of record 128 goals and 46 assists in 205 caps.

However, Portugal needn't worry about their captain's absence as they dominated Sweden with a stellar performance. They fired a warning to their Euro 2024 rivals ahead of the tournament in Germany this summer.

Selecao das Quinas opened the scoring in the 24th minute through AC Milan forward Rafael Leao. The young attacker reacted to Bernardo Silva's effort deflecting off the post and fired home the opener.

The hosts put together a slick move which led to Manchester City midfielder Matheus Nunes doubling their lead nine minutes later. He raced into Sweden's box before drilling past Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

Portugal were purring and found a third in the 45th minute when Bruno Fernandes inevitably got on the scoresheet. Nelson Semedo found the Manchester United skipper and he tapped home from close range.

Martinez's men toyed with Sweden and grabbed a fourth goal in the 57th minute. Fernandes turned provider, putting it on a plate for Braga winger Bruma who could make no mistake in making it 4-0.

The visitors showed signs of life in the 58th minute when the highly sought-after Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres netted. It was mere consolation though as Portugal were back on the scoresheet three minutes later.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Goncalo Ramos got in on the act with an easy finish thanks to Semedo's fine assist. Cristiano Ronaldo will have been impressed by his nation's frightening frontline but also wary of his place in Martinez's side.

Union SG forward Hakan Nilsson made the scoreline a little less embarrassing for Sweden in the 90th minute. But, the hosts came away with a resounding 5-2 victory, giving fans a glimpse of what to expect from them at Euro 2024.

One fan alluded to Joao Cancelo's comments about his nation not needing to rely on Ronaldo:

"Portugal without Ronaldo right now. Cancelo was right!"

Another fan echoed those sentiments although it's worth noting Ronaldo finished second in the Euro 2024 qualifying goalscoring charts (10 goals):

"Portugal are so insanely good without Ronaldo it's hilarious man."

Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Selecao's thrashing of Sweden:

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Frank Leboeuf backs Portugal to win Euro 2024 if they drop Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has been told he needs to be dropped by Roberto Martinez.

Former Chelsea and France defender Frank Leboeuf reckons Portugal can win this summer's European Championships but only if Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't play. The Al-Nassr superstar has shone in the Saudi Pro League with 30 goals and 11 assists in 33 games across competitions this season.

However, Leboeuf thinks Martinez's men can only become European champions by dropping the legendary forward. The Euro 2000 winner said (via GOAL):

"Portugal are actually one of the contenders for this summer's European Championships. I actually think they can win the Euros, but only if Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't play."

The former Chelsea centre-back hailed Ronaldo's influence on football but insisted he moved to Al-Nassr to retire:

"You cannot take away anything that Ronaldo has done for football just because he has gone to retire in the Saudi League. I want to thank him for taking the sport to another level, but there is an end for everyone."

Cristiano Ronaldo captained Portugal to European glory at Euro 2016. He lit up the tournament with three goals and as many assists in seven games.

However, Ronaldo couldn't play the majority of the 1-0 win (a.e.t) against France in the final after picking up an injury in the first half. Selecao's all-time top goalscorer will be eager to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign. He managed just one goal in five games as his nation crashed out in the quarter-finals.