Gonçalo Ramos secured a crucial win for Portugal by heading in a pass from Rafael Leao during stoppage time. Cristiano Ronaldo, who had earlier converted a penalty, watched from the bench. Portugal’s victory over Croatia was marked by intense moments.
Ronaldo equalized in the 68th minute. His successful penalty leveled the game and gave him his first knockout-stage goal at the World Cup. Ramos’s decisive goal put Portugal ahead, sealing the team’s advance.
The match ended in controversy. Croatia believed they had equalized in the final moments. However, Mario Pašalić’s goal was disallowed due to an offside call after a VAR review. Displeased Croatian fans expressed their protest by throwing bottles onto the field and whistling.
Croatia initially led in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perisic scored from Josip Sanisic’s cross. Despite Luka Modrić’s efforts, Croatia could not recover. Modrić had previously guided Croatia to a second-place finish in 2018 and a third-place spot in 2022.
With this win, Portugal will face Spain in the Round of 16 on Monday.
Lexie Linderman is a student at John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.