Portugal: 3 facts about Gonçalo Ramos' goal against Denmark

01.10.26 FT UEFA Nations League A

Denmark

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Portugal

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Portugal's first match since the Cristiano Ronaldo controversy was highly anticipated, and Jorge Jesus' gamble ultimately paid off. By starting Gonçalo Ramos up front, the Portuguese coach was rewarded with an impressive 4-2 victory that allows the Lusitanians to sit comfortably at the top of Group A-D in the Nations League.

The former Parisian was the architect of this victory, scoring the second goal in the 25th minute after already setting up João Cancelo for the opener (13th). The newspaper A Bola praised him, naming him man of the match with a rating of 8/10.

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“The best player on the pitch? Gonçalo Ramos. A shot against the post (12th), an assist (13th) and a goal (25th) in just 12 minutes, showcasing the striker's dynamism both inside and outside the box. Formidable in the box, he is tireless and highly effective all over the pitch, a true goalscorer the whole team needs. If Jorge Jesus is the conductor, as he said before the match, Gonçalo Ramos is the playmaker, the leader of Portugal at the head of a competent and dedicated team. He played like a leader,” read comments reported by Foot Mercato.

Ramos scores his 100th career goal

Having scored his 13th goal in 30 appearances for Portugal, the 25-year-old centre-forward has now surpassed the 100-goal mark. Among other goals, he has scored 45 for Paris Saint-Germain, 41 for Benfica and just one for AC Milan, the club he joined this summer.

Interesting statistics for a player who was desperately short of playing time and was often used as a “joker” or “fallback option”, particularly during his time in Paris under Luis Enrique.

Ramos freed by Ronaldo's absence

Already on target against Norway (1-2) four days earlier, the Olhão native scored again against Denmark, once more without Cristiano Ronaldo, who had stayed on the bench in the first match before walking out on the eve of the second game.

According to Stats du Foot, the Milan striker has scored 12 of his 13 international goals without Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch. A statistic confirming that Ronaldo's retirement could ultimately be a blessing in disguise for him. “This story did not influence us (the Ronaldo affair); we want to win every match. The new coach helps us enormously. We have clear ideas, we know exactly where each teammate is on the pitch,” Ramos said after the victory at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.

Portugal never lose when... Ramos scores

Another statistic that stands out and is sure to please the Portuguese is that the Iberian nation never lose when Ramos scores. This is the 10th match in which he has scored, for 10 victories: against Nigeria (4-0), Switzerland (1-6, hat-trick), Luxembourg (9-0, brace), Slovakia (3-2), Sweden (5-2), Denmark (5-2 aet), Armenia (9-1), Croatia (1-2), Norway (1-2) and Denmark (2-4).

The Portuguese daily "O Jogo" even took the opportunity to tease Ronaldo by running the headline "CR11" to celebrate Gonçalo Ramos' outstanding performance, with the striker now having to learn how to handle this new status being attributed to him with the national team.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

Related teams and leagues

Denmark

Portugal

UEFA Nations League A