Goncalo Ramos was a target for Leeds United in the summer and marked his first World Cup start with the first hat-trick of the tournament, including a stunning opening goal against Switzerland.
The main talking point before kick-off was the omission of Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal's starting line-up. But focus quickly switched to Ramos when the young forward rifled a rocket beyond Yann Sommer from an acute angle.
He added a second shortly after the break as he surged to the near post to poke Diogo Dalot's low cross beyond Sommer, before adding a sumptuous second-half third. Ramos has enjoyed an impressive season with Benfica - registering 14 goals and six assists in 21 appearances across all competitions. However, the 21-year-old had only previously played 33 minutes for Portugal before their Round of 16 tie against the Swiss.
He was linked with a number of Premier League clubs during the summer transfer window, including Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United.
Ramos was also on Leeds' radar after another of their targets, Arnaud Kalimuendo, switched from Paris Saint-Germain to fellow Ligue 1 outfit Stade Rennes. Reports in August claimed that Ramos fitted the age profile of the club, but despite the multitude of clubs chasing his signature, he stayed put in Lisbon.
Leeds are expected to be on the lookout for another centre-forward in January after Patrick Bamford's dismal start to the campaign. Bamford is still awaiting his first goal of the season for Leeds, with his goal drought stretching back to December 2021.
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