Portugal’s defeat of Switzerland (6-1) in the round of 16 of the World Cup generated a wave of euphoria and excitement in the Iberian country, which is even beginning to dream of winning the competition.
From the press to the world of politics, no one has been indifferent before the resounding victory of the “quinas” against the Helvetians, who secured the Portuguese’s place in the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time since 2006.
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The protagonist this time is not the usual Cristiano Ronaldo, but Gonçalo Ramos, author of a triplet and that dominates the front pages of Portuguese newspapers, both sports and general.
For its part, “A Bola” qualifies it as “demolition Man”, while the newspaper “Correio da Manhã”, the most widely read in Portugal, affirms that “a star has been born” and adds that “Ronaldo stays on the bench and sees Gonçalo Ramos score three goals”.
The newspaper “O Jogo” goes further and declares on its cover that Portugal “assumes the candidacy for the title with a collective exhibition from another world”.
Not even the Portuguese president, the conservative Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, remained unaffected by the euphoria generated by the victory. “It is one of the best nights, that I remember, of Portuguese football in a long time”, declared Rebelo de Sousa after the match, which he attended at the facilities of an association that supports children from impoverished neighborhoods in the Lisbon metropolitan area.
The head of state also praised the decision of the coach, Fernando Santos, leaving Cristiano on the bench: Santos “did everything right, he played with a surprise team, a team without Ronaldo”, who with this decision “surprised his opponents”, he defended. Portugal, “playing every game like this, can win” the World Cup, he assured.
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Meanwhile, the prime minister, the socialist António Costa, stressed that Portugal was the author of a “great show.”
With the victory against Switzerland, Portugal ensures its presence in the quarterfinals, in which it will face Morocco next Saturday.
