Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in the opening four minutes on the way to a four-goal haul as European champion Portugal smashed Andorra 6-0 in World Cup qualifying Friday, while France recovered from a goal down to thrash Bulgaria 4-1. The Real Madrid superstar was making his first appearance for Portugal since he was stretchered off injured and in tears from the final of Euro 2016 and he wasted no time in making up for his three-month absence from international football. The 31-year-old took just 73 seconds to make his mark. He was wrestled to the floor at a corner but then jumped up to volley in left footed from around the penalty spot after the Andorra goalkeeper could only parry a Portugal header. Ronaldo, who has struggled to get back to his brilliant best for Real since returning from his knee trouble, was at it again two minutes later when he was left totally unmarked on the six-yard box to rise and head in. It was only a matter of how many for the home side after that, as Portugal belatedly got three points on the board in Group B, after losing in Switzerland. Ronaldo made it the perfect hat trick just 90 seconds after the break, grabbing his third — Portugal's fourth — with a sweet right-footed volley. Andorra's nightmare evening got that bit worse just after the hour when it went down to 10 men, Jordi Rubio receiving a second yellow card for clattering late and hard into Ronaldo, who punished the away side soon after with another fine half-volley for 5-0. Cynical and increasingly desperate Andorra saw red again when Marc Rebes was the next to get sent off, again for cutting down the man of the moment Ronaldo. Andre Silva sealed the punishment four minutes from time. "We know that Switzerland and the Faroes won tonight and it will be necessary for us to beat them during qualification," said Ronaldo who now has 65 international goals. "There are eight games left and we want to win them all to reach the World Cup Finals." The Swiss scored in the 89th minute to stay top of Group B, Valentin Stocker firing it in front for the final time in a thrilling 3-2 away win in Hungary for a perfect six points from six. France, agonizingly beaten by Portugal in Paris in the Euro final in July, returned to the scene of that heartbreak and got off to the worst possible start when it conceded after just six minutes at the Stade de France. Mihail Aleksandrov stroked home from the penalty spot to give the Bulgarians a shock lead in a very competitive-looking Group A. But the French stormed back with two goals from Kevin Gameiro — making his first international start in almost five years — in a convincing 4-1 win. The Netherlands, which failed to make it to the Euros, tops the group after it defeated Belarus 4-1 in Rotterdam. Quincy Promes grabbed a first-half brace for the Dutch. France travels to Amsterdam Monday for a mouthwatering clash with the Netherlands. Under-achieving Belgium also enjoyed a fine home win, Eden Hazard scoring a beauty in the first period as it defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-0 to go top of Group H. In other games it was: Greece 2, Cyprus 0; Faroe Islands 2, Latvia 0; Sweden 1, Luxembourg 0; Estonia 4, Gibralter 0.
