Goncalo Ramos notches the first hat trick of the 2022 World Cup

Goncalo Ramos (YouTube)

Most people expected a Portuguese player to record a hat trick at the 2022 World Cup. Just most expected it would be the electric Cristiano Ronaldo. However after a conflict between Ronaldo and Portugal manager Fernando Santos in Portugal’s 2-1 loss to South Korea last week, led to Santos’s decision not to start Ronaldo on Tuesday against Switzerland.

The result? Well, the decision not to start Ronaldo did not hurt Portugal whatsoever. On Tuesday, the Portuguese players had no problems with their offensive attack as they steamrolled past Switzerland 6-1. Portugal’s star in the knockout stage was 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos of S.L. Benfica, who became the first player at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to score three goals in a game. Ramos’s goals on Tuesday came in the 17th, 51st and 67th minutes.

The other three Portuguese players to score on Tuesday were Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro, and Rafael Leao. Pepe, who plays for FC Porto, became the second oldest player to score in a World Cup game when he helped Portugal go up 2-0 in the 33rd minute. The oldest World Cup goal scorer is Roger Milla of Cameroon, who at age 42, scored in a 6-1 Cameroon loss to Russia on June 28, 1994. Guerreiro, a midfielder for Borussia Dortmund, scored in the 55th minute, and Leao, a forward with AC Milan, scored in the second minute of extra time in the second half.

Like Monday, we saw some great goalkeeping. This time it was from Yassine Bounou of Sevilla. Bounou made two phenomenal saves on penalty kicks as Morocco defeated Spain. The game did not have a goal in the entire contest during full time and extra time. Then on penalties, Morocco scored thrice, while Spain did not score once.

Portugal will now play Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday. Twice before Portugal has played Morocco in the Group Stage of the World Cup. In 1986, Morocco won 3-1 on two goals by Abderrazak Khairi, and in 2018, Portugal won 1-0, on a goal by Ronaldo (who else?).