Croatia suffered a brutal defeat against Portugal in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup after Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot and Goncalo Ramos netted an agonizing goal in the final minutes to give Portugal qualification to the Round of 16.
With this result, Croatia are officially eliminated from the 2026 World Cup with no remaining chances of keeping their tournament campaign alive, saying goodbye to their greatest historical icon, Luka Modric. The goal scored by Ivan Perisic in the 53rd minute was ultimately not enough to secure the victory.
Portugal remain in the fight to forge a path to the final, but they will have a difficult opponent ahead. In the Round of 16, Portugal will face Spain, with the matchup scheduled for July 6.
Croatia on the verge of an epic finish
The end of the match was filled with controversy. While Portugal maintained a 2-1 lead, with Cristiano Ronaldo already substituted, the referee decided to add 10 minutes of stoppage time. Not only that, but the official allowed play to run for three additional minutes, during which Croatia equalized the match following a goal by Josko Gvardiol. However, the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.
Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Portugal.
This would have triggered chaos on the pitch, but the result ultimately went to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, who were also seen emotional after the match with a Diogo Jota shirt.
Ronaldo stepped up at the most crucial moment
The Portuguese national team suffered more than expected. When Ivan Perisic put Croatia ahead in the 54th minute, the team looked lost, lacking reaction and showing few soccer answers to change history.
But at the most delicate moment, Cristiano Ronaldo appeared. He took on the responsibility and scored the 1-1 equalizer from the penalty spot in the 65th minute.
It was a key goal, not only to keep Portugal alive but also to break one of the most notable pending milestones of his career: his first goal in a World Cup knockout stage. Additionally, he secured a record that Lionel Messi cannot achieve in this World Cup.
