A last-gasp winner, then a ruling that decided a World Cup
Portugal needed almost every second of four added minutes to get past Croatia. Gonçalo Ramos supplied it, rising above the Croatian back line to plant a Rafael Leão cross past goalkeeper Dominik Livaković and complete a 2-1 comeback in the Round of 32, according to ESPN's live match coverage.
Even that wasn't the final word. Deep into second-half stoppage time, Croatia thought they'd forced extra time when Joško Gvardiol turned in a loose ball from close range. Referee Espen Eskås was sent to the pitchside monitor, and after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was wiped out. As Athlon Sports explained, replay and ball-sensor data showed Igor Matanović had grazed the ball moments before it reached Mario Pašalić, putting Pašalić fractionally offside when the sequence began — a sequence Sports Illustrated broke down frame by frame amid the ensuing controversy. Croatian players surrounded the officials in protest as the decision was confirmed.
Croatia had led since the 53rd minute, when veteran winger Ivan Perišić beat Diogo Costa with a low finish off a Josip Stanišić cross, per Yahoo Sports' live tracker. Portugal's route back into the match came from the penalty spot: VAR intervened after Croatia's Nikola Vlašić pulled down Renato Veiga inside the box at a corner and Cristiano Ronaldo sent Livaković the wrong way to level it at 1-1 in the 68th minute.
Two records, one very long rivalry
The penalty carried weight beyond the scoreline. It was the first goal Ronaldo has ever scored in a World Cup knockout match, and at 41 years and 147 days old, it made him the oldest outfield player to score in the tournament's knockout phase, surpassing the mark his former Portugal teammate Pepe set at 39 years and nine months — a milestone The Daily Star tallied in its post-match report. Roberto Martínez withdrew him for Rúben Neves in the 81st minute to a standing ovation, unaware his night's work would need finishing by someone else entirely.
Perišić's opener carried its own significance: it moved him to seven World Cup goals, breaking a tie with Davor Šuker to become Croatia's outright all-time leading scorer at the tournament. And with both Ronaldo and Croatia captain Luka Modrić, 40, in the starting lineups, Thursday marked the first time two outfield players over 40 have started against each other in a World Cup match — a preview angle Al Jazeera flagged before kickoff that played out exactly as billed. The two former Real Madrid teammates shared a long embrace at the whistle; for Modrić, it may be the last World Cup appearance of a storied career.
Remembering Diogo Jota
The fixture fell on the eve of a difficult anniversary. Diogo Jota, the Liverpool forward and Portugal international, died alongside his brother André Silva in a car crash in northwestern Spain on July 3, 2025. Portugal's squad has worn wristbands honoring him throughout the tournament, and manager Martínez listed him as an honorary 28th member of the World Cup roster, Yahoo Sports reported in its feature on the tribute.
After the final whistle, Ronaldo pulled on Jota's old No. 21 shirt, and his teammates gathered around him for a photograph in tribute. "It was a so special moment," Ronaldo told FOX Sports afterward.
A sellout crowd, a bruised Croatia
BMO Field — rebranded Toronto Stadium for the tournament and, at a capacity of 43,036, the smallest venue at this World Cup — was full for what turned out to be the city's last match of the tournament, according to Yahoo Sports' venue preview. Croatia arguably deserved more from the night: they had the better of the second-half chances and saw two further efforts waved off for offside before the disallowed Gvardiol goal. It wasn't enough. Croatia's tournament ends in the Round of 32; Portugal moves on to face the fiercest rivalry in Iberian football.
Next stop: Dallas, and an unbeaten Spain
Spain reached the Round of 16 the same afternoon, dismantling Austria 3-0 at Los Angeles Stadium behind a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal and a first international goal for full-back Pedro Porro. It's the first time since 2010 that Spain have won a World Cup knockout match, and they still haven't conceded a goal in the tournament — a run that began with an opening 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, followed by wins over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to top Group H.
Portugal and Spain will meet Monday, July 6, at 3 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas — branded "Dallas Stadium" under FIFA's tournament naming rules.
Few international rivalries carry more history. Spain eliminated Portugal in the 2010 Round of 16 on their way to the trophy, and the two produced a chaotic 3-3 group-stage draw in 2018, remembered for a Ronaldo hat-trick that included a stoppage-time free kick. More recently, Portugal beat Spain to win the 2025 UEFA Nations League final, a title ESPN referenced in its broader look at Ronaldo's international career.
Spain arrive with the tournament's tightest defense and a front line built around Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and a red-hot Oyarzabal, though they're managing fitness concerns after winger Nico Williams suffered an adductor injury against Uruguay in the group stage, as ESPN detailed at the time. Portugal, by contrast, have needed late drama to survive their first two knockout tests of the tournament.
The winner advances to a quarterfinal against Belgium or the United States at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on July 10, according to Yahoo Sports' full bracket breakdown. By Tuesday morning, one Iberian nation will be a genuine contender for the trophy. The other will be packing for home.
