Gonçalo Ramos

Gonçalo Matias Ramos (born 20 June 2001) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Portugal national team.

Born in Olhão, Ramos came through Benfica's youth academy. He began playing for Benfica B in 2019 and was promoted to the first team a year later. Following three seasons with the first team, Ramos established himself as an integral player for the club, helping them win the league title in 2022–23. In 2023, Ramos signed for Paris Saint-Germain on an initial one-year loan deal, before joining the club permanently for €65 million.

Ramos is a former Portugal youth international, representing his country at various levels, including the under-19 team that finished as runners-up at the 2019 UEFA European Championship and the under-21 team that finished as runners-up at the 2021 European Championship. He made his senior international debut in 2022, being part of the squad at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024.

Early career
Born in Olhão, Algarve on 20 June 2001, Ramos started his football career in the youth ranks of local side Olhanense in 2009, before joining Loulé in 2011. Shortly Ramos had several trials with Sporting CP aged 9, but was rejected due to his slight frame, leading him to join their crosstown rivals youth system Benfica in 2013 at the age of 12.

2019–22: Rise to the first team
On 13 January 2019, he made his professional debut with Benfica's reserve team as an 84th-minute substitute for Nuno Tavares in a 3–2 home loss to Braga B in LigaPro. On 21 July 2020, he made first-team debut with Benfica as an 85th-minute substitute for Pizzi in a 4–0 away win over Desportivo das Aves in the Primeira Liga, netting a brace in 8 minutes. During that season, Ramos played in the 2019–20 UEFA Youth League, in which he was a key part of Benfica reaching the final of the competition, lost to Real Madrid (3–2), in which he scored a brace in the finals; he finished as joint-top scorer in the tournament with eight goals. On 7 October 2020, he agreed to a contract extension to 2025.

After a promising 2020–21 season with the B team, which he scored eleven goals in twelve games, Ramos was given a run in the first-team at the start of the 2021–22 season by manager Jorge Jesus, starting in a 2–0 home victory over Spartak Moscow in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. Following the arrival of Roman Yaremchuk and the return of Darwin Núñez from injury, Ramos found limited first-team minutes, leading him to pursue a move out of the club in the winter transfer window. With the arrival of interim manager Nélson Veríssimo in January 2022, who had previously coached him at the B team, Ramos began playing more regularly, and reignited his form, scoring seven goals and adding two assists. His versatility enabled him to play in various positions in attack, which the new coach found useful.

On 13 April, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 3–3 away draw against Liverpool at Anfield in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals tie. In doing so, he became the second youngest player (aged 20 years and 297 days) to score for the club in the final phases of the competition, though Benfica were eliminated after losing to Liverpool 6–4 on aggregate.

2022–23: Breakthrough season and league title
Ramos began the 2022–23 season by scoring his first career hat-trick on 2 August in a 4–1 home win over Midtjylland in the first leg of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round. His prolific form saw him score two more goals and provided two assists, as part of a partnership with newly signed teammate David Neres, including a goal and an assist in the 3–0 home win over Dynamo Kiev in the second leg of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League play-off round, helping his side qualify to the tournament. On 2 November, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal of the season, opening Benfica's 6–1 away win against Maccabi Haifa in their last 2022–23 UEFA Champions League group stage match, to ensure the club's qualification to the round of sixteen, as group winners. After scoring five goals in five matches, he was named the league's Player of the Month and Forward of the Month for the months of October and November.

On 15 January 2023, Ramos scored a brace to help the hosts secure a 2–2 draw against crosstown rivals Sporting CP in the Derby de Lisboa, being named man of the match. In doing so, he became the second youngest player (aged 21 years and 183 days) to score a brace in the derby, since António Mendes (aged 21 years and 30 days) in 1958. On 7 March, in the second leg of Champions League round-of-16, Ramos scored a brace in a 5–1 home win against Club Brugge, becoming the youngest Portuguese player (aged 21 years and 260 days) to score twice in a Champions League knockout stage match. On 2 April, he scored the only goal of an away win over Rio Ave, making the youngest player to score 25 goals in a season for Benfica, since Eusébio in the 1962–1963 season. Ramos finished the season with 27 goals for his team, including one on the final day of the league campaign, in a 3–0 win over Santa Clara to seal the title for Benfica, their first title in four years; his 19 league goals put him second for the season.

Paris Saint-Germain
On 7 August 2023, Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain announced the signing of Ramos on a season-long loan, having an option-to-buy at the end of the season for a reported fee of €65 million, with an additional €15 million in potential bonuses. Sources claimed that the buy option was mandatory.

Ramos made his debut in a 0–0 draw against Lorient at the Parc des Princes on 12 August. On 24 September, Ramos scored his first two goals for PSG in his sixth appearance in a 4–0 win over Le Classique rivals Marseille, after replacing Kylian Mbappé in the 32nd minute. He also became the first player in Ligue 1 after his teammate Mbappé to score a brace coming off the bench in October 2020. On 22 November, PSG announced that it had exercised its buy option in Ramos's loan deal. He signed a contract with the club until 2028. On 24 November, Ramos scored his first goal since signing permanently with the club in a 5–2 win at home over Monaco.

Shortly after, he caught a virus, which caused him to lose six kilograms, with the situation getting worse in December, leading Ramos to be hospitalised, with PSG requesting Benfica's help in the entire logistics and monitoring his process, which they accepted. The situation was confirmed by PSG's mananger Luis Enrique on 19 January 2024, and after recovering, his form improved in the new year, scoring five goals in seven matches including, on 31 March, closing the 2–0 win over Marseille in the Le Classique at Stade Vélodrome, after replacing Kylian Mbappé in the 65th minute. The rest of the season, Ramos served more as a back-up due to his condition, he would score 14 goals in his first season, while helping his team win the domestic treble with record-extending successes in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the Trophée des Champions, while also reaching the Champions League semi-finals.

2017–2022: Youth level and early senior career
With the Portugal under-17s, Ramos participated in the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in England. In this competition, he played two matches, scoring a goal against Slovenia in a group stage exit.

Ramos was part of the Portugal team that finished runners-up to Spain at the 2019 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Armenia. He was the top scorer with four goals in five appearances, including a hat-trick in a 4–0 win against the Republic of Ireland in the semi-finals.

On 12 November 2020, Ramos won his first cap for the under-21 side, scoring the third goal on his debut in a 3–0 victory in Belarus for the 2021 European Championship qualification campaign. In March 2021, Ramos took part in the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, helping Portugal finish as runners-up, after losing in the final 1–0 to Germany.

On 20 September 2022, Ramos was called up to the senior team for the first time, as a replacement for Benfica team-mate Rafa Silva, who retired from international football, for the upcoming 2022–23 UEFA Nations League matches against the Czech Republic and Spain.

2022–present: World Cup breakthrough and Euro qualification
On 10 November 2022, Ramos was named in Portugal's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He made his senior international debut in a friendly against Nigeria on 17 November, scoring the third goal and assisting the fourth in a 4–0 win. On 6 December, Portugal manager Fernando Santos started Ramos ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in the team's round of 16 game against Switzerland. Ramos scored a hat-trick and provided an assist in Portugal's 6–1 victory, becoming the first player to score a World Cup knockout stage hat-trick since Tomáš Skuhravý in 1990. He also became the first player to score a hat-trick in his first World Cup start since Miroslav Klose in 2002. Portugal employed the same strategy in the quarter-finals against Morocco, with Ramos starting once again. Portugal lost 1–0, however, with Morocco becoming the first CAF nation ever to reach the World Cup semi-finals.

Following the World Cup, with the arrival of new manager Roberto Martínez, Ramos lost his place to Ronaldo in Portugal's squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Luxembourg. On 23 March, Ronaldo scored a brace in a 4–0 win over Liechtenstein; with his 197th international appearance, he overtook Al-Mutawa's record and became the most capped male footballer of all time. After Ronaldo was suspended in a qualifier match against Slovakia, Ramos was given a chance to prove himself, which he took, on 11 September, scoring a brace in Portugal's 9–0 home defeat of Luxembourg, Portugal's biggest win in international history. On 13 October, Ramos scored the opening goal in a 3–2 win over Slovakia, leading Portugal to qualify for Euro 2024, marking the nation's fastest qualification to a major tournament in their history.

On 21 May 2024, he was named in Portugal's squad for final tournament in Germany, where Portugal was eliminated from the tournament by France in the quarter-finals, after losing 5–3 in a penalty shootout.

Style of play
Ramos is capable of playing in several offensive positions, such as a striker, or second striker. He usually drops deep to help his team build their attacking play by bringing his teammates into play and creating chances for other players. Due to his awareness and willingness to follow instructions, he understands how to rotate positions in ways in which to benefit the ball-holder with his movement, short or long passes. When he is offering short, he aims to be positive in his control of the ball, he attempts to open his body up each time, with either foot, being able to hold up the ball and act as his team focal point in attack.

During his second season at Benfica, under Roger Schmidt, Ramos was used as a striker in a 4–2–3–1 formation. His ability to attack space and create further space both inside and outside the penalty area with his movement is what made the move to the centre a more natural progression. Ramos is good at picking up positions between the opposition's defenders and then exploiting space behind the defensive line. He presses with intent and is not afraid to put himself about against the opposition. Ramos usually links up with the midfield and makes proactive movements which always can put a striker in a goal-scoring position more often rather than standing around and waiting for the service, similar to Karim Benzema.

Personal life
Ramos' father, Manuel Ramos, originally from Amareleja, in Alentejo Province, is also a former Portugal youth international who represented Farense among other Portuguese clubs.

International

 * Portugal score listed first, score column indicates score after each Ramos goal.

Honours
Benfica Paris Saint-Germain Portugal U19
 * Primeira Liga: 2022–23
 * Ligue 1: 2023–24
 * Coupe de France: 2023–24
 * Trophée des Champions: 2023
 * UEFA European Under-19 Championship runner-up: 2019

Portugal U21
 * UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2021

Individual
 * UEFA European Under-19 Championship Golden Boot: 2019
 * UEFA Youth League Top Scorer: 2019–20
 * Cosme Damião Awards – Revelation of the Year: 2021
 * Primeira Liga's Player of the Month: October/November 2022, March 2023
 * Primeira Liga's Forward of the Month: October/November 2022, March 2023
 * Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2022–23
 * Liga Portugal 2's Forward of the Month: September/October 2021
 * SJPF Young Player of the Month: March 2022, August/September 2022