Cristiano Ronaldo’s dream of ending his international career with a FIFA World Cup title remains alive after Portugal staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Croatia 2-1 in a controversial Round of 32 clash.
The thrilling encounter saw Portugal recover from a goal down before surviving a late VAR scare to book a blockbuster last-16 showdown against Spain.
Croatia broke the deadlock in the second half through veteran forward Ivan Perisic, leaving Portugal facing the prospect of an early World Cup exit.
However, Ronaldo responded when it mattered most. The Portugal captain calmly converted a penalty to restore parity, scoring his first-ever goal in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup. The strike came amid growing speculation that the 41-year-old could retire from international football after the tournament.
Despite equalising, Ronaldo was substituted by head coach Roberto Martinez before extra time ended, a decision that visibly frustrated the Portuguese legend.
Portugal eventually found the winner in added time of extra time when Gonçalo Ramos rose to head home a superb cross from Rafael Leão, sending Portuguese supporters into wild celebrations.
Croatia thought they had forced a penalty shootout moments later when Manchester City defender Joško Gvardiol found the net in the 113th minute. However, after a lengthy VAR review and an on-field check by referee Espen Eskås, the goal was ruled out for offside. Officials determined that Igor Matanović had made contact with Ivan Perišić’s cross before it reached Mario Pašalić, who was adjudged to be in an offside position during the build-up.
The controversial decision proved decisive as Portugal held on to secure victory and eliminate the 2018 World Cup finalists.
While Ronaldo celebrated another memorable night in Portuguese colours, the defeat could mark the end of an era for Croatia captain Luka Modrić, who is widely expected to have played his final FIFA World Cup match.
Portugal’s reward is a mouth-watering Round of 16 clash against European champions Spain, rekindling the rivalry between the two Iberian neighbours after Portugal’s triumph over Spain in the 2025 UEFA Nations League final.
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