Portuguese fans were initially unhappy that their idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, was not included in the starting lineup for their round of 16 match against Switzerland. There were already rumors that the superstar was not in the best form and that his statements after his substitution against South Korea did not sit well with coach Fernando Santos. In the end, the Portuguese not only won; they dominated, and Cristiano Ronaldo played after all.
The first shot of the match was a goal for Portugal, setting the tone for the onslaught to come. Gonçalo Ramos rattled the ball in off the post to open the scoring in the 17th minute. Barely 15 minutes later, Bruno Fernandes sent in a corner, and Pepe headed it in to make it 2-0.
Get rid of spider webs! 🕸️
🚀 Left-footed shot to the top corner by Gonçalo Ramos
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Shortly after the ball was kicked off in the second half, in the 51st minute, it was Gonçalo Ramos again who made it 3-0.
Minutes later, João Félix took a diagonal shot and found Gonçalo Ramos, who assisted it this time to Guerreiro to make it 4-0.
The Swiss, looking out of sorts, finally scored a consolation goal in the 58th minute from Akanji.
Portugal, however, was not done. Ramos, just 21 years old, completed his hat track to make it 5-1 in the 67th minute. It was his first game as a starter in this World Cup, replacing none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, seeming to justify his coach’s controversial decision.
CR7 entered the field as a substitute in the 73rd minute to a roaring applause. He did not contribute any goals to the Portuguese victory. He did manage to put a ball in the goal, but it was ruled offside.
❌ Goal disallowed to Cristiano#GolMundial pic.twitter.com/OoTUJCm4OX
- Gol Mundial (@Gol) December 6, 2022
Rafael Leão put the final goal on the scoreboard in stoppage time to make it a 6-1 game.
Portugal's victory was dominant. They will advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2006 to face Morocco, who beat Spain in a penalty shootout earlier today in the big upset of the tournament so far.
