Ronaldo’s Hat-trick Powers Portugal to Emphatic Victory over LithuaniaRonaldo’s Hat-trick Powers Portugal to Emphatic Victory over Lithuania In a dominant display, Cristiano Ronaldo fired in a stunning hat-trick as Portugal cruised to a 6-0 victory over Lithuania in their Group A qualifying match for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 20th minute, pouncing on a loose ball in the penalty area and unleashing a powerful shot that flew into the top corner. The Juventus forward doubled Portugal’s lead just before the half-hour mark, this time converting a penalty after being brought down by Lithuania’s Ernestas Setkus. Portugal continued to control the match after the break, with Ronaldo completing his hat-trick in the 65th minute. He broke free from his marker on the left flank and curled a beautiful shot into the far post. The home side added three more goals in the final 25 minutes through Diogo Jota (74th minute), Bernardo Silva (81st minute), and Bruno Fernandes (90th minute). Portugal’s dominance was complete, as they recorded 25 shots to Lithuania’s two. Ronaldo’s hat-trick was his 58th for Portugal, moving him one goal clear of Ali Daei as the all-time international top scorer. The victory also maintained Portugal’s perfect record in Group A, with three wins from three matches. “Cristiano was exceptional tonight,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos. “He is a true leader and inspiration for this team. His goals were world-class, and they set the tone for the rest of the match.” Lithuania’s coach, Valdas Ivanauskas, admitted that Portugal was too strong for his side. “We knew it would be difficult, but we didn’t expect to lose by such a large margin,” he said. “Portugal played very well, and Ronaldo was simply unstoppable.” With three matches remaining in the group stage, Portugal is now in a commanding position to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar. Lithuania, on the other hand, has yet to record a point and is facing an uphill battle to reach the playoffs.
