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Croatia thought their FIFA World Cup hopes were still alive when they scored the equalizing goal just before the end of stoppage time in the second half.
But a VAR review said Mario Pasalic was offside and Portugal went ahead.
Gonçalo Ramos’ goal minutes earlier (a beautiful header into the back of the net in the 94th minute) was the decisive one in Portugal’s 2-1 victory. And it was only the second time in Portugal’s World Cup history that the nation needed to come from behind to win, underscoring its resilience on the sport’s biggest stage.
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Luka Modric of Croatia and teammates react after the 1-2 loss during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia at Toronto Stadium on July 2, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. (Patrick Smith – FIFA)
However, it was a controversial finish, with Croatia attempting to argue that the ball never hit Igor Matanovic’s head, putting Pasalic offside during the VAR review.
It is also worth noting that a new chip inside the ball is displayed when touched, giving more concrete evidence of the referee’s final decision at such a crucial moment in the match. This was the tenth goal disallowed by the VAR so far in the World Cup.
GABRIEL MARTINELLI’S GOAL IN THE 96TH MINUTE RESCUES BRAZIL FROM JAPAN ANNOYED IN THE WORLD CUP’S RONCOS
Thus, with the goal disallowed, Croatia’s stay in the tournament has come to an end. As a result, Croatian legend Luka Modrić is finishing up his fifth World Cup, which will likely be the last for the 40-year-old midfielder.
But another older legend on the field will continue on as Cristiano Ronaldo made World Cup history during this match.
When the number 7 stepped on the field and the ball was kicked, he became the oldest player to participate in a World Cup knockout stage match, at 41 years and 147 days. He also became the oldest player to score in a knockout stage match when he saw a penalty situation as Portugal trailed 1-0 in the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia at Toronto Stadium on July 2, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. (Patrick Smith – FIFA)
Ivan Perisic scored the first goal of this match and put Portugal against the wall. But after a foul was committed inside the Croatia area in the 67th minute, it was time for Ronaldo to score the first elimination goal of his career and he did not disappoint.
Ronaldo was ecstatic, running towards the corner flag and performing his trademark “SIU!” celebration, which the public roared with the score 1-1. Ronaldo also seemed to have scored that first elimination goal just a few minutes earlier, but was called for offside.
Modrić and Ronaldo, two former Real Madrid teammates, also made history together, as they were the first two players aged 40 or over to play in the same match together.
Luka Modric of Croatia congratulates Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal after the 2-1 victory during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia at Toronto Stadium on July 2, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
It was also an emotional moment after the match, as Ronaldo wore the shirt of his late Portugal teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident a year ago. A photo of the team was taken on the pitch, with Ronaldo holding Jota’s shirt alongside his team.
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Now that Portugal has its work cut out in the round of 32, it faces a big challenge against a key opponent in the round of 16.
Spain, which dominated Austria with a 3-0 finish on Thursday, awaits Portugal at Dallas Stadium on July 6 at 3 pm ET.
