With Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, the superstar striker’s replacement scored a hat trick to lead Portugal over Switzerland 6-1 and into the World Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Goncalo Ramos, a 21-year-old forward who only made his Portugal debut last month, made his first start for his country and demonstrated the kind of clinical finishing Ronaldo was once known for.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos now has to decide whether to stick with Ramos or restore Ronaldo, the top scorer in men’s international soccer and one of the game’s greatest ever players. After the final whistle, as Portugal players stayed on the field to applaud the team's fans at one end of the stadium, Ronaldo walked off on his own — perhaps wondering where his career goes from here. He is currently without a club after leaving Manchester United midway through the World Cup.
Ramos was a surprise replacement — he had previously only made three substitute appearances for Portugal — and took his chance.
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