Ronaldo subbed off before Ramos winner as Portugal beats Croatia 2-1 in World Cup thriller

Match recap

Portugal came from behind to beat Croatia 2-1 in Toronto on Thursday, advancing to a round-of-16 meeting with Spain. Ivan Perisic opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, but Cristiano Ronaldo levelled from the penalty spot in the 68th after a foul on Renato Veiga. With the game heading for extra time, substitute Goncalo Ramos headed in a Rafael Leao cross deep into stoppage time to complete the turnaround.

1. Jul 2, 202653rd minute: Ivan Perisic puts Croatia ahead.
2. Jul 2, 202668th minute: Cristiano Ronaldo equalizes from the penalty spot.
3. Jul 2, 202681st minute: Ronaldo substituted for Ruben Neves.
4. Jul 2, 2026Stoppage time: Goncalo Ramos heads in the winner.
5. Jul 2, 2026After 100 minutes: Croatia's equalizer disallowed by VAR for offside.

Ronaldo's substitution

Ronaldo, 41, became the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout match with his penalty, his first-ever goal in the knockout stage. Yet his only touch inside the opposition box was that spot-kick. Coach Roberto Martinez withdrew him in the 81st minute for Ruben Neves, a move that drew gasps but ultimately paid off. Ramos later praised the decision:

I think the team did the substitutions, we entered to press to score, and that's what we knew, and at the end... the coach did very well.

VAR and smart ball

Croatia thought they had forced extra time when Josko Gvardiol scored after 100 minutes, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review. The decision hinged on a touch by Igor Matanovic that was invisible to the naked eye but detected by the Adidas Trionda smart ball, whose internal sensor records 500 data points per second. Croatian fans threw bottles and whistled in protest. Luka Modric was blunt:

VAR was not created for this.

Portuguese media reported that Portugal also had two goals disallowed during the match, adding to the sense of chaos.

Emotional farewells

The match marked Modric's final World Cup appearance. After the whistle, he and former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo shared a long embrace. Ronaldo said:

Modric is a legend of football. I played many years with him at Real, I wish him the best and I hope he continues to play.

Mateo Kovacic wept on the pitch and was consoled by Portugal's Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes. A pitch invader sprinted toward the Portuguese bench and was tackled by security just before reaching Ronaldo.

Political presence

Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro watched from the stands and later visited the dressing room. He posted on social media:

A victory made of suffering, of grit and competence. Brilliant Portugal. The dream is still alive. Congratulations, Heroes of the Sea.

Montenegro also paid tribute to Diogo Jota, the Portuguese forward who died a year ago, saying the team was playing with an extra man.