'Breaking the tournament goalless streak,' Ronaldo bids farewell to Modric on his 'retirement path' as legends face mixed fates... Portugal comes from behind for a 2-1 victory over Croatia

*This content was translated by AI.

Portugal secured a dramatic comeback win against Croatia, advancing to the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. Cristiano Ronaldo (41) scored his first-ever goal on a tournament stage in World Cup history.

On the 3rd (Korea time), Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 in the Round of 32 match held at Toronto Stadium in Toronto, Canada. In stoppage time of the second half, with the score tied 1-1, Gonçalo Ramos scored a dramatic header to decide the match. With this victory, Portugal will face Spain on the 7th for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, 'legend' Luka Modric, who led Croatia to the runner-up position in 2018 and won the Ballon d'Or, effectively closed his final World Cup stage with this defeat.

Portugal controlled the early momentum of the match. Leading with a midfield trio of Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, and João Neves, they maintained high possession. However, their attack lacked precision in the attacking third, managing only one valid shot in the first half, while Ronaldo, deployed at the front line, failed to attempt even a single shot throughout the first 45 minutes.

Croatia was the first to break the balance. In the 8th minute of the second half, Josip Stanišić delivered a cross from the right flank, which Ivan Perišić calmly finished with a left-footed shot to take the lead.

Portugal launched a counterattack. In the 16th minute of the second half, Ronaldo shook the net, but an offside call was made, leaving them disappointed. However, opportunities soon returned. They earned a penalty kick in the 23rd minute, and Ronaldo, as the designated kicker, calmly converted to level the score. This was Ronaldo's 11th career World Cup goal on his sixth tournament appearance, marking his first-ever goal on a tournament stage.

Following this, both teams engaged in an intense back-and-forth battle. In the 30th minute of the second half, Mateo Kovačić's long-range shot struck the post, and Petar Šušković's subsequent goal was disallowed due to an offside call.

Having weathered the crisis, Portugal substituted Ruben Neves for Ronaldo in the latter stages to strengthen their midfield. The move proved successful. With possession regained, Rafael Leão delivered a cross from the left flank in stoppage time, which Ramos headed home for a thrilling comeback goal.

Croatia appeared on the verge of scoring a dramatic equalizer just before the final whistle when Joško Gvardiol struck the ball, but video assistant referee (VAR) review ruled it offside, and the match ultimately ended with a 2-1 victory for Portugal.

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*This content was translated by AI.