After Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped from Portugal's playing XI in an ongoing FIFA World Cup match against Switzerland, Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick for the national team.
It was unthinkable a few months ago to drop Ronaldo before a World Cup knockout match, but after he was substituted against South Korea, his moody antics, along with his controversial departure from Manchester United last month, caused manager Fernando Santos to drop him against Switzerland.
And it now looks like the Portuguese coach was right to drop CR7 from the starting XI. The 21-year-old replacement Goncalo Ramos would have surely been nervous while entering the pitch. You can bet on world cup matches on these football betting websites.
He quickly got over his jitters. In the 17th minute, a ruthless left-footed strike gave his team the perfect start, and two well-taken goals midway through the second half completely erased any notion that Portugal needed Ronaldo.
Who is Goncalo Ramos?
Ramos, a forward who plays for Benfica in the Primeira Liga, was born in Olhao, Portugal. With nine goals from 11 games, he is currently the league-scoring leader in Portugal.
He has scored 20 goals for Benfica overall in 45 games. The youth academy at Benfica produced Ramos.
Prior to being selected for the FIFA World Cup squad in November, Ramos had never played for Portugal. Additionally, the Liverpool attacker Diogo Jota's injury was the sole reason he was able to make the team.
Prior to the World Cup, he made his debut for his country last month in a friendly match against Nigeria. For all the goal-scoring odds you can visit these footballing betting websites.
When Portugal beat Ghana and Uruguay in their group games, Ramos played only a few minutes as a late substitute. Read more about your favorite Sports News here.
