Portugal reached the World Cup’s round of 16 with a 2-1 victory over Croatia in Toronto that was decided deep into added time and then sealed by a VAR review. Gonçalo Ramos headed in a Rafael Leão cross in the 94th minute to complete a comeback, only for Croatia to believe they had forced extra time when Josko Gvardiol prodded the ball home moments later. After a lengthy check, the goal was ruled out for offside, sending the Portuguese bench into frenzied celebration and leaving Croatia’s players and their large contingent at BMO Field in disbelief.

Croatia had taken the lead in the 53rd minute through Ivan Perišić, and for long stretches they looked capable of holding off a Portugal side that struggled to create clear chances. The equaliser arrived in the 68th minute after a VAR review awarded a penalty, which Cristiano Ronaldo converted with a calm finish down the middle. The goal was the 41-year-old’s first in a World Cup knockout match, making him the oldest man to score at that stage of the tournament. It shifted the emotional momentum, and Portugal pressed until Ramos’s glancing header finally broke Croatian resistance.

When the final whistle blew, the result was immediately reframed by a personal tribute. Ronaldo removed his own shirt and pulled on a Portugal jersey bearing the number 21, the squad number of Diogo Jota, the Liverpool forward who died in a car accident in Spain on 3 July 2025 alongside his brother André Silva. The match fell on the eve of the first anniversary of the crash. Ronaldo, visibly moved, looked to the sky and later told Portuguese television: “We know he is present with us and it only made sense to win today to honour him in the best way.” Head coach Roberto Martínez said the night carried a heavy emotional weight for the entire group, noting that the team had spoken before the match about the “coincidence of life” that placed the fixture on this date.

Jota, who scored 14 goals in 49 international appearances, had been expected to feature prominently at this tournament. His absence has been a constant undercurrent in Portugal’s campaign, and the squad has symbolically included him as a 27th player on their list. The victory over Croatia extends Ronaldo’s World Cup career by at least one more match and sets up a heavyweight round-of-16 meeting with Spain on Monday in Arlington, Texas. Spain advanced earlier the same day with a commanding 3-0 win over Austria in Los Angeles, a result that confirmed their status as one of the tournament’s form sides.