Goncalo Ramos started for Portugal in place of Cristiano Ronaldo and scored the first hattrick of the FIFA World Cup 2022. While a lot was being said about how Portugal look better without their star Ronaldo, Ramos said after the match that the 37-year-old is indispensable to the side as he is the leader of the team and an idol to all the players in Portuguese colours. 

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“Cristiano Ronaldo is our leader. He is my reference and an idol to many of us,” the 21-year-old Benfica player told the official media in an interview after the match.

Ramos produced a performance that will be remembered many years from now. He also broke several records in FIFA World Cup history, the most prominent of them is becoming the first player ever to score a hat trick in FIFA World Cup knockouts since the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Czechoslovakia’s Tomas Skuhravy scored the previous one. 

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Portugal won the match comfortably scoring a total of six goals against the Swiss. The Swiss managed to net only one goal from a corner. Brazil’s emphatic performance against South Korea yesterday made many think that they are the clear favourites to win the tournament. However, Portugal’s win today against one of the strongest defensive sides in Europe will perhaps make them rethink.

Portugal will be facing Morocco next in the quarter-final match-up. In spite of Portugal’s stellar attacking show against the Swiss, they will have to be weary as the North African side has conceded only one goal in the World Cup so far.

Even Spain, who netted 7 against Costa Rica in the group-stage match, failed to score against Morocco earlier today.