Portugal 2–1 Croatia: Ronaldo’s First Knockout Goal, VAR Controversy, and an Emotional Tribute

Portugal survived a wild, controversial, and deeply emotional contest to beat Croatia 2–1 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 at Toronto Stadium. The result sent Portugal into a Round of 16 matchup against Spain on July 6 in Dallas, while Croatia was eliminated .

The match featured three key storylines: Cristiano Ronaldo finally breaking his World Cup knockout-stage duck at 41, a dramatic VAR call that disallowed a stoppage-time Croatian equalizer, and a poignant tribute to late teammate Diogo Jota on the one-year anniversary of his death .

Key Goals and Scorers

• 53' — Ivan Perišić (Croatia): Perišić opened the scoring in the second half, putting Croatia 1–0 up .
• 68' — Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, penalty): Ronaldo stepped up and calmly converted a penalty to equalize. It was his first-ever World Cup knockout-stage goal .
• 90'+4 — Gonçalo Ramos (Portugal): Substitute Ramos rose to head in a cross from Rafael Leão in the fourth minute of stoppage time, a dramatic winner that sent Portugal through .

VAR Controversy: The Disallowed Croatian Equalizer

In the 103rd minute, deep into stoppage time, Croatia’s Joško Gvardiol appeared to bundle the ball home from close range. The goal sparked wild celebrations, but VAR intervened and disallowed it for offside .

The controversy centered on whether Croatian forward Igor Matanović had touched the ball in the buildup. FIFA later explained that advanced “Connected Ball Technology” confirmed a faint touch by Matanović, which played Mario Pašalić offside . The decision was highly controversial; frustrated Croatian fans threw bottles onto the pitch in protest .

Ronaldo’s Historic Milestone

At 41 years and 147 days old, Ronaldo not only scored his first-ever World Cup knockout-stage goal — after going goalless in knockout matches across five previous tournaments — but also became the oldest player ever to play in and score in a World Cup knockout match . He was substituted off shortly after his goal and watched Ramos’s winner from the bench .

Emotional Context: Diogo Jota Death Anniversary

The match was played on the one-year anniversary of Diogo Jota’s death (July 3, 2025, local time in Portugal). Jota, 28, and his brother André Silva died in a car crash in Spain . Portugal carried his memory throughout the match:

• Manager Roberto Martínez named Jota an honorary member of Portugal’s World Cup squad .
• The team posed with a Jota shirt before kickoff .
• After the final whistle, Ronaldo donned Jota’s No. 21 jersey and pointed to the sky in tribute, fighting back tears . He dedicated the victory to his late teammate .

Croatia’s Exit and Modrić’s Farewell

The loss eliminated Croatia from the tournament and is widely expected to mark Luka Modrić’s final World Cup appearance . At 40 years old, Modrić — who became just the fourth player to reach 200 international caps — led his team with 66 touches in the losing effort . Ronaldo and Modrić shared an emotional moment after the match; the two former Real Madrid teammates had faced off in what many viewed as the last World Cup meeting between two aging legends .

What’s Next: Portugal vs. Spain — Round of 16

Portugal will face Spain on July 6, 2026, in Dallas for a place in the quarter-finals .