Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 in a dramatic clash from the 1/16 finals of the 2026 World Cup, held at „BMO Field“ in Toronto. The match offered a real spectacle in the second half, marked by a historic goal by Cristiano Ronaldo and a late turnaround that sent the Iberians to the round of 16 against Spain.
The first half passed under the sign of caution, with Portugal in possession of the ball 62% of the time, but clear chances in front of both goals were lacking. The real show at the Toronto stadium began after the break, when both teams dramatically increased the tempo.
The Croats shocked their opponent in the 53rd minute. Veteran Ivan Perisic scored with a cool left-footed shot after a precise cross from Josip Stanisic, giving the “fire“ the lead. However, their joy was short-lived. In the 68th minute, Portugal was awarded a penalty for a foul by Nikola Vlasic on Renato Veiga. Behind the ball stood the 41-year-old captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who fired a powerful shot into the centre of the goal to score his first World Cup knockout goal of his career.
Shortly after the equaliser, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez made a bold move and replaced Ronaldo with Ruben Neves in the 81st minute to balance the midfield, withstanding the pressure of Luka Modric and company. Croatia had their chances, with Mateo Kovacic's shot hitting the post and Petar Sucic's goal disallowed for offside. The drama reached its peak in the 94th minute. Logged in as backup Gonzalo Ramos headed in Rafael Leao's cross and beat Dominik Livakovic for the final 2-1, exploding the stands in Canada.
With this success, Portugal secured a place in the next phase, where they will face Spain in a spectacular Iberian derby.
Source: ESPN and FIFA