Portugal defeats Croatia to advance to World Cup round of 16

On July 3, 2026, in Toronto, Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 to secure a spot in the round of 16 of the World Cup. Ivan Perisic opened the scoring for Croatia in the 53rd minute. Cristiano Ronaldo equalized for Portugal in the 68th minute via a penalty, marking his first-ever goal in a World Cup knockout match and becoming the oldest player to achieve this feat at age 41. Despite his goal, manager Roberto Martinez substituted Ronaldo in the 81st minute, a decision that visibly upset the player. Goncalo Ramos scored the winning goal for Portugal in the 94th minute. Croatia's Josko Gvardiol had a goal disallowed for offside by VAR in the 90+13th minute. Portugal is now set to face Spain on July 6. The match featured significant drama, including multiple disallowed goals and strong performances by goalkeeper Diogo Costa.