Now, Portugal coach Fernando Santos must decide whether to keep Ramos or bring back Ronaldo, the men’s international soccer’s leading scorer and one of the game’s greatest players. Goncalo Ramos, a 21-year-old from Portugal, scored the first hat trick of the 2022 World Cup against Switzerland on Tuesday in the Round of 16 matchups.
Ramos became the first player since Germany’s Miroslav Klose in 2002 to score a hat trick in his first World Cup start after replacing the Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo. He also became the first man to score a hat trick in a World Cup knockout game since 1990 and the youngest player to accomplish the feat since Pele.
His first goal came out of nowhere when Ramos played the ball into his path from the right side of the box. Despite the tight angle, he smashed the ball past Yann Sommer’s near post and into the roof of the net. After getting past his marker, Dalot found space down the right and fizzed a grounded cross that Ramos cleverly flicked between Sommer’s legs for his second goal.
Bernardo Silva won the ball high up the field, which Joao Felix picked up. Felix’s clever through ball was met by a clever finish from Ramos, who dinked it over Sommer for his hat trick. To loud applause, Ronaldo entered the game as a substitute in the 72nd minute, but Portugal had already won the match thanks to goals from defenders Pepe and Raphael Guerreiro. In the final minute of play, Rafael Leao scored a goal.
Switzerland’s score came from Manuel Akanji. After reaching the quarterfinals in 1966 and 2006, Portugal will take on Morocco on Saturday. Now, Portugal coach Fernando Santos must decide whether to keep Ramos or bring back Ronaldo, the men’s international soccer’s leading scorer and one of the game’s greatest players.