Portugal came from behind to beat Croatia 2-1 in a dramatic Round of 32 clash at Toronto Stadium at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Croatia took the lead in the 52nd minute through a close-range finish from Ivan Perisic, who has now scored at every World Cup since 2014. Portugal equalized in the 67th minute through a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty, awarded after a foul by Vlasic on Renato Veiga — CR7’s first-ever goal in a World Cup knockout match, making him the oldest scorer in the competition’s knockout stage history.
The winning goal came deep into stoppage time, in the 94th minute, when Goncalo Ramos — Milan’s new signing — rose above the Croatian defence to head home a cross from Rafael Leao. The drama didn’t end there: in the 104th minute, a Gvardiol goal that would have made it 2-2 was ruled out by VAR for offside, after a touch by Matanovic in the build-up was spotted on review.
The night carried emotional weight beyond the result: Ronaldo led his teammates to salute the Portuguese fans wearing Diogo Jota’s number 21 shirt, in tribute to the late teammate. For Luka Modric, it may have marked the end of his World Cup career.
Portugal will now face Spain in the Round of 16.
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