By LEXIE LINDERMANFriday July 3, 2026
Cristiano Ronaldo will get another shot in a Portugal shirt at 41, lifted by a penalty he converted, Goncalo Ramos’ stoppage-time header and a Video Assistant Referee decision that left Croatia seething.
Ramos delivered the decisive goal as Portugal edged Croatia 2-1 in a chaotic finish to their World Cup round of 32 clash Thursday night, a match that also saw Croatia have a late equalizer erased for offside moments before the final whistle.
The contest also staged a meeting of football’s enduring veterans — Ronaldo, appearing in his sixth World Cup, and Croatia’s Luka Modrić, chasing a title in his fifth tournament.
Ronaldo brought Portugal level in the 68th minute from the penalty spot, marking his first knockout-stage World Cup goal before being replaced in the 81st minute.
“I never felt any of that (fear),” he said. “Yes, nervous. But as always, you have to be very positive for things to go well.”
In the end, though, it was Ramos who settled the match and sent Portugal into the round of 16.
“I love that type of moment, I love that type of games,” he said. “I want to play every game like that.”
Portugal moves on to face Spain on Monday.
“First half we dominated the game. In second half after the goal we get a little bit panic, but this is football,” Ronaldo said. “After the penalty, I think it was a little bit better for us. We created a few chances and I think at the end of the day we deserved to win the match.”
In a postgame interview with Fox, Ronaldo also turned to display a Diogo Jota jersey and his No. 21, honoring his teammate one year after Jota died in a car crash. “We knew this before the game. It was a so special moment. We speak today to our group, the coincidence of life. It’s unbelievable.”
The ending turned contentious after Ramos scored. While Portugal and its supporters were still celebrating, Croatia believed it had found a dramatic equalizer in the final seconds. But after a 2 1/2-minute pause, Mario Pasalic was ruled offside and the goal was wiped away by VAR. Croatia fans responded by throwing bottles onto the field and whistling in protest.
Croatia midfielder Petar Sucic said, “the referee said he didn’t see (anyone) touch the ball, he said that he had a sensor in that ball,” which led to the offside call. “For me, it’s a regular goal.”
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said the decision came down to the technology in the ball.
“I need to tell them (Croatia fans) the message is very clear: The balls now have a chip, and it’s very clear that’s why the VAR intervened,” he said. “It’s not a subjective opinion.”
Croatia had struck first in the 53rd minute, when Ivan Perisic finished a cross from Josip Sanisic.
Ronaldo, loudly booed every time he touched the ball by Croatia supporters, equalized from the spot after Nikola Vlasic was penalized for a holding foul in the box. The Portugal captain stuttered in his run-up, then drove the ball down the middle as the goalkeeper dove to his right.
Modrić, who helped Croatia to second- and third-place finishes in 2018 and 2022, was once again at the heart of a campaign shaped by the long pursuit of World Cup glory. He is 40.
The two former Real Madrid teammates shared smiles and an embrace before the coin toss, and later met again on the field after the final whistle, hugging and exchanging a few words.
“I played with Luka so many years,” Ronaldo said. “We’re nearly the same age. I think he’s a legend of football. He’s still a legend of football.”
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić said this was “probably” Modrić’s final World Cup, though he left the door open a crack.
“Only God knows what will happen in the next four years. We’ll see. We’ll talk about it in Croatia,” he said.
