Euro 2024 qualifiers: Ronaldo earns 199th cap in Portugal win as Lukaku scores for Belgium

Silva and Fernandes score in 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina to extend perfect start to campaign

Cristiano Ronaldo, left, and Portugal teammates celebrate with Bruno Fernandes after his first goal in the 3-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. EPA

Cristiano Ronaldo earned his 199th international cap on Saturday as a Bruno Fernandes brace helped Portugal beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0 to maintain their perfect record in Euro 2024 qualifying.

Bernardo Silva, fresh from celebrating Manchester City's treble, opened the scoring just before the break at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, and Manchester United star Fernandes headed in the second with 13 minutes remaining.

Fernandes then got his second in stoppage time to secure a comfortable victory. Portugal have now scored 13 goals and conceded none while winning their opening three matches in Group J.

They sit top of the six-team section, two points clear of Slovakia and five above Luxembourg, with the top two sides advancing to next year's finals in Germany.

Roberto Martinez's Portugal side visit Iceland on Tuesday when another victory will take the Euro 2016 winners a step closer to securing qualification.

"Our attitude as a team was spectacular but the difficulty for us was more to do with mental fatigue than anything physical," said Martinez, who was not fully satisfied with the display. "We played more with our hearts than our heads. We still need to develop our full potential."

Ronaldo wore the captain's armband and played all 90 minutes as the 38-year-old men's international appearance record-holder won his 199th cap.

However, the Al Nassr forward did not manage to add to his record 122 international goals – he found the net with a header midway through the first half only to be denied by an offside flag.

"Cristiano Ronaldo's commitment to the national team is exemplary," said Martinez. "He is a unique player in world football, and he is very important in our dressing room."

Silva, who helped Manchester City win the Champions League last weekend, opened the scoring a minute before the interval, finishing first-time after Ronaldo and Fernandes combined to set him up.

Bosnia, with 37-year-old Edin Dzeko leading their attack, could not find an equaliser and Portugal struck again on 77 minutes as Fernandes headed in unmarked from a Ruben Neves cross.

Fernandes then sealed Portugal's victory when he controlled on his chest at the edge of the box and finished on the half-volley.

Lukaku scores in Belgium draw

Belgium were held to a 1-1 draw by Austria in Brussels, with captain Romelu Lukaku turning and firing in from the edge of the box just after the hour mark for the hosts.

Austria led against the run of the play through Michael Gregoritsch's first-half strike. It was revised as an own goal because the shot was deflected by Belgium midfielder Orel Mangala.

Belgium continued to dominate possession without finding an edge, exposing themselves to fast counterattacks. Their perseverance was finally rewarded when Lukaku found space between defenders just outside the box and unleashed a precise and low strike for his 73rd Belgium goal.

"After the first goal we saw the heads go down, which is something we need to learn from because this team is young," said Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco. "But in the end, I honestly saw good things as well."

Eden Hazard, the former Belgium captain who quit international football after the World Cup, attended the match and did a lap of honour around the stadium at half-time.

Belgium are three points behind group leaders Austria but have a game in hand. They are back in action on Tuesday in Estonia, who drew 1-1 with Azerbaijan on Saturday.