Portugal booked their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in Toronto, with Cristiano Ronaldo once again playing a decisive role in a thrilling encounter that was settled by a late winner and VAR intervention.
Croatia appeared to be on course for a famous victory after veteran winger Ivan Perišić opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, putting the 2018 World Cup finalists ahead in a fiercely contested knockout clash.
Portugal responded through their captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, who calmly converted a penalty in the 68th minute to level the scores.
The goal saw the 41-year-old become the oldest player ever to score in a FIFA World Cup knockout match, further extending his remarkable list of international records.
With extra time looming, Gonçalo Ramos emerged as Portugal’s hero, heading home the winning goal deep into stoppage time to spark wild celebrations among the Portuguese players and supporters.
However, the drama was far from over. Croatia thought they had forced extra time when Joško Gvardiol bundled the ball into the net moments later, but a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review ruled out the goal for offside after technology detected a touch from Igor Matanović during the build-up, rendering the attack illegal.
After the final whistle, an emotional Ronaldo paid tribute to his late Portugal teammate Diogo Jota by holding up and wearing a Portugal jersey bearing the No. 21. Jota, the Liverpool forward, died in a tragic car accident almost exactly one year before Portugal’s victory.
Speaking after the match, Ronaldo described the moment as deeply emotional, saying the coincidence of the date made the victory even more meaningful for the team.
“We spoke about it before the game. It was a special moment. The coincidence is unbelievable.
This victory means a lot to us, not only because we won, but because of the way we achieved it,” he said.
The victory sends Portugal into a mouth-watering Round of 16 showdown against neighbouring rivals Spain in Dallas on Monday, with one of Europe’s biggest football rivalries set to headline the knockout stage.
Spain secured their place in the last 16 with an impressive 3-0 victory over Austria in Los Angeles.
Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice, while Pedro Porro added another as the European champions produced one of their best performances of the tournament.
After opening their World Cup campaign with a goalless draw against Cape Verde, Spain have steadily gathered momentum and now head into the clash with Portugal as one of the favourites to lift the trophy.
The Iberian derby between Portugal and Spain is expected to be one of the standout fixtures of the Round of 16, with Ronaldo aiming to keep his final World Cup dream alive against the reigning European champions.
