Goncalo Ramos started Portugal’s match against Switzerland in the round of 16 despite the fact that Ronaldo, a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, is a striker.
That occurred by some coincidence. He took over for the injured striker, scored two goals, and made the position his own.
It had less to do with chance on Tuesday. Goncalo Ramos started Portugal’s match against Switzerland in the round of 16 despite the fact that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is a striker.
The Benfica striker has made the position his own since his time at the academy, scoring a magnificent hat trick in his first start for his country.
When Ramos was 12 years old, he joined the club’s Seixal academy. He made the move quickly as the son of Marco Ramos, a former Farense player. He was regularly playing for the youth teams, albeit as a midfielder, by the time he was 16-17 years old. That didn’t exactly make any difference however, as he was all the while scoring 25-30 objectives a season.
Ramos was Portugal’s top scorer at the under-19 Euros in 2019, and it was only a matter of time before he made it into the first team. He made an immediate appearance against Desportivo Aves in July 2020, making his debut in the 85th minute.
he kid from Olhao scored twice, becoming the first Benfica player since Mark Pembridge, a former Wales international, in 1998, to score twice on his debut.
It additionally implied that Ramos scored for four unique Benfica groups in a single season (the youngsters, the under-23s, the B group and the main group).
It was an easy decision then for Benfica, who in the wake of offering Darwin Nunez to Liverpool for €80million in the late spring, tracked down their substitution from the inside.
Ramos received his first senior call-up in September for Portugal
Ramos received his first senior call-up in September for Portugal’s Nations League games thanks to his strong start to the 2022 season. Benfica qualified for the Champions League group stage with the help of the top scorer in Portugal’s Primeira Liga, who scored a hat trick against Midtjylland. Benfica also won 13 of their 13 games in Portugal.
The Olhao boy commented after the under-19 Euros: I want to win a few competitions, like the World Cup, Champions League, and championships.
And he was doing just that on the biggest stage, scoring three kinds of goals that any striker would dream of.
Nothing led to the first goal. The goal of a pure striker. He realized that the defender had only given him an inch of space and maybe a second to maneuver after receiving the ball in the box. That was enough for Ramos as he pounded home from the most intense point.
The second was taken by poachers. Infuriating Yann Sommer, the goalkeeper, he made it appear so simple. Everything about his explosive celebration was clear.
He ran through to chip the goalkeeper after reading a through ball with skill for his third goal.
“Not even in my most extravagant fantasies did I contemplate being essential for the beginning group for the knockout stage,” said Ramos, who turned into the main player to score a full go-around on his most memorable World Cup start since Miroslav Klose for Germany in 2002.
However, his teammates were not surprised by his performance.
Bruno Fernandes, a hero for Manchester United, said after the game: The Portuguese league’s quality is unknown to the general public. Goncalo’s qualities and Benfica’s success in the Champions League should be known to everyone.
He is a player who runs a lot, works a lot, contributes to the defense, and is the kind of striker who is everywhere.
He had the opportunity to score three goals, but he is a striker who fights, has the ball, and is strong. He also creates space for others. We are pleased with his goals today because it was his day.
Bernardo Silva added, “He’s a great talent and more.” He has the striker’s instinct, knowing where the ball will land to complete the action, but he is also a hard worker who always tries to do what is best for the team and not for himself.