International Soccer

El hombre que dejó a Cristiano Ronaldo en la banca lleva a Portugal a cuartos de final con un hat trick

Antes de su partido de octavos de final ante Suiza, el técnico de Portugal Fernando Santos sorprendió al mundo anunciando que Cristiano Ronaldo no sería titular. No porque estuviera lesionado, sino que por simple y llana decisión técnica.

La ausencia de CR7, sin embargo, no sería problema. Su reemplazante, Gonçalo Ramos, justificaría luego la controversial decisión de su entrenador, marcando el primer hat trick del Mundial y guiando la clasificación de los lusos a los cuartos de final del torneo, donde enfrentarán a Marruecos.

Gonçalo Ramos just stole Cristiano Ronaldo’s job with sensational hat trick vs. Switzerland

Portugal manager Fernando Santos made the incredibly bold decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo for his team’s 6-1 victory vs. Switzerland in the Round of 16 on Tuesday. Taking Ronaldo’s place was 21-year-old Benfica talent Gonçalo Ramos. 

The rest is history.

Ramos scored a hat trick and added an assist in a dominant performance. Ronaldo who? 

The rumor for why CR7 was benched is for a spat he had with South Korea’s Cho Gue-sung when being substituted out of Portugal’s final group stage game.

Oldest men's player to score in World Cup knockout stage is none other than Pepe

Who's the oldest men's player to score in the knockout stages of the World Cup? It's going to be one hell of a trivia question after the record was broken by an extremely unlikely character Tuesday — Portugal's Pepe is now the answer at 39 years and 283 days.

Portugal's World Cup Round of 16 match against Switzerland represented Pepe's 132nd cap, but heading into the game he'd only managed seven goals with his last actually coming in the last-16 of the 2018 World Cup against Uruguay.

Las atajadas de Bono y un Panenka de Hakimi dejan a España fuera del Mundial

No es por venir a presumir, pero en el análisis de Marruecos antes del Mundial hice una predicción: que Yassine Bounou, su arquero atajaría un penal durante el torneo. 

Y Bono, mi brother, no me decepcionó.

El arquero fue la figura de un Marruecos fenomenal, atajando no uno, sino que dos penales en la tanda con que los Leones del Atlas dieron el gran golpe de Catar 2022, despidiendo a España y avanzando a los cuartos de final del torneo.

World Cup favorites Spain bounced by ultimate humiliation: a Panenka and a waddle

Spain's shock 2018 World Cup Round of 16 exit at the hands of Russia — when La Furia Roja took 79% possession with 1,115 passes but fell in a penalty shootout — was supposed to be the ultimate nightmare fuel for the purveyors of tiki-taka.

On Tuesday in the 2022 World Cup Round of 16, Spain suffered another incredible upset in a penalty shootout, this time to African neighbors Morocco after taking 77% possession with 1,019 passes. 

Morocco’s Sofiane Boufal sends Marcos Llorente back to Spain with filthy skill

Spain manager Luis Enrique made the surprise decision to start Marcos Llorente at right back for his team’s Round of 16 clash with Morocco. Llorente hadn’t played a single minute in this World Cup before Tuesday and Morocco’s Sofiane Boufal had a field day with him in the first half.

Boufal was a Moroccan menace in the opening 45 minutes showing off a variety of skills and good dribbles. The 29-year-old winger who plays for Angers in Ligue 1 made Llorente’s life a living hell.

Neymar is a goal away from equaling Pelé's all-time scoring record for Brazil

Jogo Bonito is back. Again.

Neymar is back from the injury that kept him off the pitches of Qatar for Brazil's remaining couple of group stage matches.

After much speculation over his presence, Brazil's No. 10 started and scored a penalty in a marvelous 4-1 victory over South Korea in the Round of 16.

Cold as ice.

Brazil's four-goal first half vs. South Korea was football heritage

In a World Cup of meticulously calculated added time, South Korea was extremely grateful to the officiating crew for only adding five minutes to the end of the first-half Monday after Brazil scored four salacious goals and accented each with a three-part dance production.

You felt bad for the Taegeuk Warriors because it definitely got embarrassing, but this is why you always, without fail, put Brazil on the television when they're playing at a World Cup — this is the beautiful game.

Mbappé has been sneakily hiding Budweiser's logo every time he's named Man of the Match

Kylian Mbappé is tearing apart the 2022 World Cup. The French star has been phenomenal during the tournament, leading the Golden Boot race with five goals and making a solid case to grab the Golden Ball, too. 

Another proof of his extraordinary performance is that he's won three man of the match awards in the four games he's played, the last against Poland in the Round of 16. As usual in this tournament, FIFA recognized the job with a trophy provided by Budweiser, one of their sponsors, and a photo immortalizing the moment. 

Croatia beats Japan on penalties as keeper pulls off 3 saves in the shootout

AL WAKRAH, Qatar - Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livaković saved penalties from Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma and Maya Yoshida before Mario Pašalić netted the winning spot-kick in their 3-1 shootout win over Japan on Monday to reach the World Cup quarterfinals.

Croatia vs. Japan full penalty shootout

Pages