Ronaldo laughs off pressure

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo insists he never felt under pressure before finally ending his two-year goalscoring drought in the 7-0 battering of North Korea.

Carlos Queiroz's side made the drab goalless draw with Ivory Coast in their opening World Cup Group G match a distant memory with a display of ruthlessness and verve to dismantle their spirited rivals in Cape Town on Monday. Ronaldo improved following a poor first half and was a key figure in a stunning second 45 minutes featuring six goals.

"I knew the goal would come eventually," he said. "It's normal (to have these spells), I didn't feel under pressure about it."

He added: "I smiled when I scored because it was a funny goal, the way it hit me on the neck."