In an exhilarating match held in Toronto during the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, Portugal overcame Croatia with a dramatic 2-1 victory. Croatia initially took the lead, but Portugal rallied back thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty and a late goal from Goncalo Ramos.
Portugal is set to face Spain in the next round on July 6, following Spain’s 3-0 win over Austria on Thursday night.
The match began with Croatia creating an early chance when Ante Budimir’s effort was easily saved by Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Portugal quickly responded, with Bruno Fernandes missing two excellent opportunities to score in the 4th minute, thwarted by Croatia’s Dominik Livakovic.
As the first half progressed, Portugal maintained pressure, with Joao Cancelo and Bruno Fernandes both attempting to break the deadlock, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The first half ended 0-0, despite a missed chance by Rafa Leao in injury time.
First Half Opportunities Foreshadow Second Half Drama
In the second half, Croatia started strong, and Mateo Kovacic came close to scoring in the 48th minute. The breakthrough came for Croatia in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perisic scored with a powerful shot following a pass inside the box. Just three minutes later, Croatia thought they had scored again, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Portugal nearly equalized in the 58th minute as Rafa Leao’s shot hit the post. Croatia responded with a dangerous effort from Sucic, but Costa made a crucial save.
Turning Point and Late Drama
In the 61st minute, Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to equalize, but his goal was ruled out for a marginal offside. However, Portugal’s persistence paid off when they were awarded a penalty in the 66th minute after Renato Veiga was fouled in the box. Ronaldo converted the penalty with confidence, leveling the score at 1-1.
With momentum on their side, Portugal pushed for a winning goal. They came very close again, as Kovacic struck the bar in the 75th minute, and Diogo Costa saved yet another attempt shortly after.
Final Minutes Filled with Tension
Croatia continued to threaten, having a goal disallowed in the 80th minute for offside. As the match entered stoppage time, Portugal’s Goncalo Ramos scored in the 90+4 minute, giving them a 2-1 lead. Yet, Croatia responded in dramatic fashion when Gvardiol scored in the 90+13 minute, only for VAR to rule the goal offside, ending Croatia’s hopes of equalizing.
In total, the match featured over 20 minutes of stoppage time, culminating in a thrilling finish as Portugal secured their place in the quarter-finals.
Match Summary
Goals came from Ronaldo (penalty, 68′) and Ramos (90+4′) for Portugal, while Perisic (53′) scored for Croatia. The match ended 2-1 in favor of Portugal, who advances to face Spain.
