Goncalo Ramos produced three goals and an assist in Portugal’s 6-1 win over Switzerland on Tuesday while starting in place of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo benched amid criticismRamos had never started for Portugal beforeBarely made squad before shining in Qatar

WHAT HAPPENED? Ramos, 21, was named in Portugal’s World Cup squad in part because an injury to Liverpool star Diogo Jota opened a spot for another attacker. Ramos barely participated in the group stage and made just his fourth-ever Portugal appearance in Tuesday’s win, taking full advantage of his opportunity.

WHO IS RAMOS? While Ramos had not yet established himself at international level before the World Cup last 16, he was considered a bright prospect for the future as a product of Benfica’s famed youth system. The youngster has scored nine goals in 11 league matches for his club this campaign, and that production combined with his unexpected World Cup role will likely make him a well-known name throughout Europe soon.

AND WHAT’S MORE: His prior international claim to fame came in 2019, when he was top-scorer at the Under-19 European Championship.

At Benfica since 2013, when he was just 12 years old, he’s always been recognised for his finishing ability, and with so many playmakers in Portugal’s World Cup squad, his precision shooting is an asset for head coach Fernando Santos.

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THE BIGGER PICTURE: Portugal are well-stocked with promising attackers, but Ramos’ performance against Switzerland vaults him into the conversation to start regularly moving forward – even with AC Milan star Rafael Leao also pushing for a long-term place.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR RAMOS? Portugal will be favoured again when they play against Morocco in the quarter-final on Saturday, and Ramos has made a strong case that he deserves to start again ahead of Ronaldo and others.