Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first-ever World Cup knockout stage goal from the penalty spot before Ramos sealed a dramatic victory in Toronto.
TORONTO, July 3, 2026 — Substitute Gonçalo Ramos headed home a dramatic stoppage-time winner to fire Portugal into the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Croatia on Thursday.
Portugal secured their place in the knockout stages following a high-intensity encounter at the Toronto Stadium. Ramos met a precise cross from Rafael Leão in the fourth minute of added time to break Croatian hearts after the opposition had created the bulk of the evening’s chances.
Croatia believed they had secured a last-minute equalizer moments later, but Joško Gvardiol’s effort was swiftly ruled out for offside, sparking celebrations among the Portuguese squad and fans.
Croatia had initially broken the deadlock in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perišić capitalised on a chance, slipping the ball beneath Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Shortly after, Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to equalise after controlling a long pass and finishing clinically, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Portugal found a way back into the match when Renato Veiga was pulled back inside the penalty box by Croatia’s Nikola Vlašić. Following a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty. Ronaldo stepped up and calmly converted the spot-kick straight down the middle, marking his first-ever goal in a World Cup knockout match.
The match remained open, with both teams chasing a winner. Croatia’s Mateo Kovačić saw his low drive tipped onto the post by Costa, while Peta Sučić had a goal ruled out by the assistant referee’s offside flag. Ronaldo was substituted in the 81st minute for Rúben Neves as Croatia continued to push forward, with Mario Pašalić narrowly missing the target with a far-post header.
With extra time looming, Leão’s pinpoint cross found Ramos, who powered his header into the back of the net to seal the victory.
Portugal will now face Spain in a highly anticipated round of 16 clash in Dallas on Monday.
