The only person since Miroslav Klose twenty years ago to score a hat-trick on his debut World Cup start. the first male since Hungary’s Florian Albert in 1962 to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match.
None of it does Goncalo Ramos’ contribution for Portugal in their 6-1 victory over Switzerland justice. Klose’s hat-trick for Germany wasn’t his first. Albert had already made himself known. Just three weeks prior, Ramos had not even represented his country in a game.
The strain ought to have been uncomfortable, if not oppressive. However, he used the following 67 minutes of his 33 minutes of international experience to score three goals, upholding his manager’s choice and giving this Portugal team fresh energy.
Ramos was coached by Fonseca while he was a player for Benfica’s B squad in Portugal’s second division and during their journey to the UEFA Youth League final in 2020. He claims that the performance versus Switzerland, which stunned the entire world, was predictable.