The Seleçao, which had not reached this stage of the competition since 2006, will meet Morocco on Saturday (4:00 p.m.) in the position of favorite.

A little earlier, the "Atlas Lions" created a sensation by eliminating Spain on penalties (0-0, 3 tab to 0).

Why did you leave Ronaldo on the bench?

"I've already talked about it. These issues are resolved, it's in the past," swept coach Fernando Santos in a post-match press conference.

On Monday, he explained that he had "not liked at all" the gesture of humor of his star player when he was replaced in the 65th minute against South Korea in the group stage (2-1 defeat).

The Portuguese striker on the substitute bench at the start of the 1/8 final of the World Cup-2022 against Switzerland on December 6, 2022 in Doha © PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP

Captain instead of "CR7", Pepe added: "Cris knows it perfectly and the coach has said it very clearly, here, the most important thing is the + us +. It was a choice of the coach and we have to respect his decision."

If Santos had the opinion with him in Portugal, a poll having revealed that 70% of the fans did not want Ronaldo to start during this match, in the stadium, the mood was different.

"Just Play"

The Portuguese star, who is most likely playing his last World Cup at 37, finally came into play in the 74th minute, finding his armband to the ovations of an audience who had been chanting his name for fifteen minutes.

But the score was already 5-1 and the five-time Ballon d'Or goal in the 84th minute was ruled out for an offside position.

He will still have to wait to score in a World Cup knockout match.

When the cat is not there, the mice dance and Ramos, who had played in all and for all only 33 minutes in selection before this evening, including twenty minutes in a friendly, took the opportunity to reveal himself in broad daylight.

"I never dreamed of an event like tonight, never thought of starting and scoring three goals in my first game, I just wanted to play," he said afterwards.

The center-forward at Benfica Lisbon did much better than that: at 21, he entered the elite of hat-trick authors in a World Cup, alongside giants like Pelé, Gerd Müller or Just Fontaine.

He is even the youngest author of a hat-trick in a knockout match since Pelé in 1958.

"Trust"

Santos praised his "dynamism", his ability to "study opportunities" and his "competitive spirit", while renewing his "confidence" in his three leading attackers whom he will use "according to the opponent and the strategy" .

Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos celebrates his third goal against Switzerland in the 1/8 final against Switzerland on December 6, 2022 in Doha © Jewel SAMAD / AFP

Ramos' first goal, in the 17th minute, was a marvel of super-powered shooting from a difficult angle.

Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer was well placed at his first post but the speed of the ball caught him off guard (1-0).

And if, in the battle of the midfield, Switzerland had an illusion for a time, they gave in a second time on a set piece half an hour into the game. This time, it was the veteran Pepe who is offered a superb headed goal from a corner, three months before his fortieth birthday (February 26).

After the break, Ramos doubled his bet by taking a center at the near post (3-0, 51st), before the former Lorient player Raphaël Guerreiro almost repeated the following action, after a well-conducted collective counter (4-0, 55th).

After the anecdotal reduction of the score by Manuel Akanji (4-1, 58th), Ramos completed his dream evening by coming to beat Sommer closely after a slalom in the defense (5-1, 67th).

Rafael Leao nailed the coffin in added time (6-1, 90th + 2).

© 2022 AFP