By Graham Thomas
As Cristiano Ronaldo prepares to lead Portugal into a FIFA World Cup showdown with Spain in the United States on Monday, another Portuguese athlete inspired by the football icon will be making his own bid for glory much closer to home.
Just as Portugal’s football team take the spotlight on the biggest sporting stage of all, the Póvoa 2026 World Boccia Cup gets underway in northern Portugal – and among the home favourites is one of the sport’s most remarkable competitors.
André Ramos doesn’t score goals with his left foot. He wins boccia matches with it.
The 30-year-old Portuguese BC1 star has become one of the most recognisable athletes in boccia thanks to his extraordinary technique, using his left foot to propel the ball with astonishing precision.
It is a skill that has earned him medals on the world stage, millions of social media views and a unique bond with the greatest footballer his country has ever produced.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly a great source of inspiration for André Ramos,” says Portugal national coach André Tavares.
“André is unique within the Portuguese national boccia team as he is the only BC1 athlete who competes using his foot, so he naturally feels a special connection with one of the greatest footballers in history.”
It is an obvious link, but for Ramos the admiration goes far beyond sharing the same part of the body that defines their sporting success.
“What André admires most is Ronaldo’s relentless work ethic, discipline, resilience and constant desire to improve,” Tavares explains.
“Even after achieving almost everything in football, Cristiano continues to set new standards through his professionalism and commitment to excellence. Those are values that André also tries to apply every day in his own training and competition.”
That mindset has helped establish Ramos among the world’s elite. The Portuguese player claimed bronze at the 2022 World Championships, another bronze at the 2023 European Championships and upgraded to silver at the 2025 European Championships.
At the Tokyo Paralympic Games he narrowly missed the podium with fourth-place finishes in both the individual and team BC1 events.
His spectacular left-footed shots have also turned him into an online sensation, introducing thousands of new fans to the sport, proving tactical precision and nerve with the boot don’t always need to take place on a football field.
Now Ramos returns to home soil for one of the biggest events of the season.
The Póvoa World Cup represents the final major international competition before the World Championships later this year, making it a crucial opportunity for athletes to fine-tune their form.
“Our preparations for Póvoa have gone very well,” says Tavares.
“This tournament is particularly important because it represents the final major competition before the World Championships. It will allow us to validate much of the work completed so far and make the final adjustments.”
Portugal once again arrive with one of the strongest squads in the competition, including world-class players José Gonçalves, Carla Oliveira, Cristina Gonçalves and Ramos himself.
Yet Tavares insists the focus extends beyond the medal table.
“Our objective is for each athlete to perform at their highest level and produce performances that reflect their true potential,” he says.
“If we achieve that, we are confident Portugal will once again be among the nations competing for medals across several sport classes.”
Competing at home brings its own motivation.
“Having loved ones in the stands brings an extra sense of responsibility, but it is a positive kind of pressure,” Tavares says.
“Their encouragement becomes an additional source of confidence and motivation.”
On Monday, Portuguese fans will split their attention between two very different sporting arenas.
Many will be watching Ronaldo chase another World Cup victory with his famous left foot.
Others will be watching Ramos produce moments of precision with his own on Povoa.
