FIFA World Cup: Portugal stun Croatia to reach next round
What's the story
Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 in a thrilling FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash on Thursday at the Toronto Stadium. Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first-ever knockout stage goal at the World Cup, leveling the match in the 68th minute with a penalty kick. Goncalo Ramos then headed home a stoppage-time winner to secure Portugal's place in the Round of 16. The win marked only Portugal's second comeback victory in World Cup history.
Match highlights
Portugal come from behind to beat Croatia
Croatia took the lead in the 53rd minute with Ivan Perisic scoring from a Josip Stanisic cross. Portugal struggled to find their rhythm initially, but Ronaldo's penalty kick equalized the score and gave him his first knockout stage goal at the World Cup. Ramos then scored a late winner for Portugal, sealing their place in the Round of 16 against Spain on Monday.
VAR drama
VAR drama in the dying moments
The match was marred with controversy as Croatia thought they had equalized in the dying moments, only for Mario Pasalic to be ruled offside by VAR. This was the 10th goal overturned by VAR at the 2026 World Cup. Portugal's Ramos scored a late winner, but not before two other Croatian goals were ruled out for offside after video review.
Historic moment
Ronaldo's 1st knockout stage goal at World Cup
Ronaldo's penalty kick was Portugal's first goal of the match. It also marked his first-ever knockout stage goal at the World Cup, ending a personal wait that had stretched across two decades and six tournaments. The match ended in dramatic fashion with Ramos heading home a late winner after coming off the bench, sending Portugal into the Round of 16 against Spain on Monday.
Legacy match
Ronaldo and Modric meet again
Thursday's match was historic as it featured two outfield players aged over 40, Ronaldo and Luka Modric. The two former Real Madrid teammates shared a hug at midfield after the match. "I played with Luca so many years," Ronaldo said after the game. "We're nearly the same age. I think he's a legend of football."
Match stats
Here are the game stats
From 15 attempts, Portugal recorded three shots on target. Croatia managed seven strikes on target from 13 attempts. The winning team had a 62% ball possession in the game. They completed 542 passes with a fine 92% accuracy. Croatia's passes count was 384. Their accuracy was 85%.
Landmarks
A look at the vital landmarks
As per Opta, Gonçalo Ramos averages a goal or assist every 37 minutes at the World Cup. This is the best ratio of any Portuguese 🇵🇹 player to record 5+ goal contributions in the history of the tournament. This was Luka Modric's 39th game at a major tournament. Among European outfield players, only Cristiano Ronaldo has made more appearances, with 56. Ronaldo is the first player in history to compete in a World Cup knockout match at the age of 41.