Goncalo Ramos Scores a Hat-Trick on his First International Debut
Goncalo Ramos becomes the hero for Portugal after helping the team win 6-1 with a hat-trick. Pepe, Guerreiro, and Leao also scored goals to win the match.
The Round of 16 match between Portugal and Switzerland ended with Portugal winning 6-1. The 21-year-old began the tournament with only minutes on the field before scoring the World Cup’s first hat-trick.
However, before delving into the game summary, let’s go through a quick overview:
Portugal beats Switzerland 6-1
Portugal Scorers
- Goncalo Ramos (17, 51, 67)
- Pepe (33)
- Guerreiro (55)
- Leao (90+2)
Switzerland Scorer
- Akanji (58)
As for the young forward, Ramos was given a surprising start in one of the most crucial matches for Portugal. The player had to fill in Cristiano Ronaldo’s shoes, who is making his fifth World Cup appearance.
The Benfica central striker exceeded every expectation and helped the team land a comfortable win against the Swiss. The match was supposed to be an even competition, seeing how Switzerland had 11 wins against Portugal, who only had 9 official wins.
In the absence of Ronaldo, the first half was supposed to give the Swiss the edge. However, the Portuguese appeared to be on an all-time high, as the young forward changed the scoreboard in the 17th minute.
It was Joao Felix who created the opportunity after entering the box without any challenge. The player assisted Ramos, who shot an amazing corkscrew that flew straight into the top right corner of the goal.
Pepe was quick to follow the player, scoring a remarkable goal in the 33rd minute. Switzerland fans started losing all hope at the 51-minute mark after Ramos scored the third goal for Portugal.
After Guerreiro scored Portugal’s fourth goal in the 55th minute, the game quickly became even more one-sided. In the 58th minute, Akanji gave Switzerland the lead, but it appeared to be more of a consolation than anything else.
It was during the 67th minute that Ramos took things beyond measure, completing the first hat-trick for the FIFA World Cup 2022. As the game was ending, Leao scored the sixth and final goal for Portugal at the 92-minute mark.
Players, coaches, sports journalists, and football fans across the globe praised Ramos for an outstanding performance. Even the official Portugal and FIFA World Cup Twitter accounts congratulated the team for their win.
Now, the Ronaldo-led team is ready to take on Morocco, which has been tenaciously fighting off giant teams. It will be highly intriguing to see how Portugal matches the defensive prowess of the Moroccans.