MY ACCOUNT
Goncalo Ramos announced himself on the world stage with a stunning hat-trick against Switzerland in his first start for Portugal.
The Benfica striker was handed a surprise start and contributed directly to four goals in the 6-1 demolition.
We take a look at how important Ramos could be to Portugal’s chances of breaking Morocco down in their World Cup quarter-final clash.
Hat-trick hero
It only took 17 minutes for Ramos to make his mark on his first start of the tournament — thumping a powerful strike past Yann Sommer for the first of his three goals that night.
His second displayed a striker’s instinct to poke the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper.
Ramos later grabbed an assist, playing Raphael Guerreiro through for the left-back to power a shot into the roof of the net.
The 21-year-old then displayed the composure of a veteran forward when he was put through one-on-one, coolly chipping in to complete his hat-trick.
It was certainly a performance to remember as Ramos announced himself to the world on the big stage.
Flying for the Eagles
Coming through the youth ranks of Benfica, Ramos began to assert his name in Lisbon last season alongside Darwin Nunez.
But since the Uruguayan’s departure to Liverpool, he has shouldered more responsibility — racking up an impressive 14 goals and six assists in 21 appearances across all competitions.
The Eagles sit first in the Primeira Liga and topped their Champions League group ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Maccabi Haifa.
Ramos has excelled since his breakthrough, demonstrating a ruthless streak in front of goal, quality link-up play and intelligent attacking runs.
A dream come true
Following his stellar performance, Ramos spoke of his inclusion in Portugal’s starting line-up and referenced some of the players that have influenced him most.
He said: “I think not even in my best dreams I thought about being part of the starting XI for the knockout phases.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is our leader. He’s the captain, he’s the leader, and we always look forward to playing side-by-side with him.
“He is my reference and an idol to many of us. Cristiano Ronaldo, [Robert] Lewandowski, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic — those players are my role models.”
Goncalo goes global
Ramos had piqued the interest of a host of Premier League clubs before the World Cup, including Manchester United, Wolves, Brighton and Newcastle.
A £35million transfer fee had been touted but following his latest showing, Benfica will likely demand a sum closer to Ramos’ reported release clause of £103m — particularly as his current deal runs through to the summer of 2026.
Given the success they are enjoying this season, it is unlikely that the club will allow their star striker to leave on the cheap.
The Atlas Lions roar
Morocco have been one of the surprise packages at this year’s World Cup, becoming just the fourth African team to reach the quarter-finals.
The Atlas Lions have so far kept clean sheets against Spain, Belgium and Croatia — with growing confidence amongst the squad and strong support, they are not far from making history.
However, Portugal are a side overflowing with attacking talent, including Ramos — who will be eager to shine once more and put his country through to the semi-finals with a decisive goal — or three.
