Gonzalo Ramos called up to the first team for the first time

Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos has been called up for the first time by a Portuguese football coach to face the Czech Republic and Spain in the Nations League a day after Rafa retired from the national team.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has announced the call-up of the “incarnate” striker, who has scored eight goals this season, four in Ligue I and four more in the Champions League qualifying rounds, in a statement from the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF).

“National coach Fernando Santos called Gonzalo Ramos today to join the Kinas in the Nations League double round,” the official FPF website reads, detailing that the striker has made 18 substitution appearances. national team -21, total 46 caps.

On Tuesday, the national team will have their first training session at Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras, starting at 17:30.

Earlier, Fernando Santos had already replaced the injured Rafael Guerreiro on also the left flank Mario Rui.

After four games in June, Portugal remain in second place in Group A2 with seven points, one behind leaders Spain, three more than the Czechs and four against Switzerland.

In the last two rounds, the national team will face the Czech Republic next Saturday in Prague, Czech Republic, without Joao Cancelo, who is serving a sentence, and will play with the Spaniards next Tuesday, December 27th. September, at the Municipal Stadium of Braga, both games are scheduled for 19:45.

The Portuguese team were the winners of the first edition of the Nations League in 2019 and need to win both games to reach the final four of the third edition.

The Nations League Final will take place from 14 to 18 June 2023, with the winners of the four groups of League A and the last players from each group moving on to League B.