Goncalo Ramos- The boy who struck goal in only his fourth World Cup appearance  

Goncalo Ramos produced a match winning performance, bagging a hattrick and an assist in Portugal’s dominant 6-1 win over Switzerland on Tuesday while starting in place of Cristiano Ronaldo. 

The 21 year old was named in Portugal’s World Cup squad partly because Liverpool star Diogo Jota suffered an injury that opened a spot for another forward player. Ramos hardly participated in the group stage and made only his fourth ever Portugal appearance in Tuesday’s emphatic win, making the most of the opportunity. 

While Ramos had not yet made a name for himself at the international level prior to 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 found the back of the net on 9 occasions in 11 appearances for his club this campaign, and the goal scoring form combined with his unexpected World cup role will probably make him a sensational name throughout Europe soon.

He last came under the spotlight when he became the top scorer at the Under 19 European Championship. The wonderkid has been with 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 finishing prowess is a valuable asset for head coach Fernando Santos. 

Portugal has a plethora of quality strikers, but Ramos' performance against Switzerland puts him in the running to start frequently moving forward - even though AC Milan star Rafael Leao is also vying for a long-term spot.

Portugal will be much favoured again when they face Morocco in the quarter-finals on Saturday, and Ramos has made a good case for starting again  ahead of Ronaldo and others.