Portugal Beat Croatia 2-1 as Gonçalo Ramos' Injury-Time Winner Sets Up World Cup Clash with Spain

Portugal booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia at Toronto Stadium on Wednesday. Substitute Gonçalo Ramos scored a stunning 94th-minute winner to send Roberto Martínez's side into the next round, where they will face Spain.

Cristiano Ronaldo also made history by scoring in the knockout stage of a FIFA World Cup for the first time in his legendary career, while Croatia's hopes ended in heartbreaking fashion after a late equalizer was ruled out by VAR.

Portugal vs Croatia Result

Portugal 2-1 Croatia

Goals:

Ivan Perišić 53' (Croatia)
Cristiano Ronaldo 68' (Penalty, Portugal)
Gonçalo Ramos 90+4' (Portugal)

Portugal vs Croatia Match Report

The Portugal vs Croatia Round of 32 clash was billed as a memorable meeting between two football icons, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić, who shared many successful years together at Real Madrid. With Ronaldo, 41, and Modrić, 40, both nearing the end of their international careers, the match carried added emotional significance.

Croatia looked set to pull off a famous victory when Ivan Perišić opened the scoring in the 53rd minute. The experienced winger arrived unmarked at the back post to convert Josip Stanišić's cross and give Croatia a deserved lead.

Portugal responded strongly and found their equalizer in the 68th minute. After Nikola Vlašić brought down Renato Veiga inside the penalty area, Cristiano Ronaldo confidently converted the spot-kick, firing straight down the middle to level the match.

As extra time appeared inevitable, Portugal struck in dramatic fashion. Deep into stoppage time, Rafael Leão delivered an excellent cross into the box, where substitute Gonçalo Ramos powered a header into the net in the 94th minute to seal a dramatic victory.

Croatia believed they had forced extra time moments later when Joško Gvardiol found the back of the net. However, after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was disallowed for offside after Mario Pašalić was judged to have been in an offside position during the build-up.

Portugal vs Croatia Match Statistics

Final Score: Portugal 2-1 Croatia
Possession: Portugal 62% – Croatia 38%
Total Shots: Portugal 15 – Croatia 13
Shots on Target: Portugal 7 – Croatia 3
Passing Accuracy: Portugal 92% – Croatia 85%
Corners: Portugal 9 – Croatia 5
Fouls: Portugal 6 – Croatia 11
Yellow Cards: Portugal 1 – Croatia 2

Key Match Timeline

53' – Croatia 1-0 Portugal: Ivan Perišić finished clinically from close range after an excellent cross from Josip Stanišić.

68' – Portugal 1-1 Croatia: Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty after Renato Veiga was fouled inside the box.

90+4' – Portugal 2-1 Croatia: Gonçalo Ramos headed home Rafael Leão's cross to complete Portugal's comeback.

90+13' – VAR Drama: Joško Gvardiol's stoppage-time goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

Records and Milestones

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first-ever FIFA World Cup knockout-stage goal.
At 41 years old, Ronaldo became the oldest player to score in a FIFA World Cup knockout match.
The defeat is widely expected to mark Luka Modrić's final FIFA World Cup appearance for Croatia.

What's Next?

With the victory, Portugal advance to the Round of 16, where they will face neighboring rivals Spain in one of the most anticipated matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Croatia, meanwhile, exit the tournament after a spirited performance that ended in dramatic and controversial fashion.

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