Portugal survived a dramatic scare to reach the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Roberto Martínez's side came from behind to beat Croatia 2-1, with Cristiano Ronaldo converting a late penalty before Gonçalo Ramos headed home a dramatic winner deep into stoppage time. Next up for Portugal is a blockbuster Iberian derby against Spain.
Croatia Were Minutes Away From a Famous Upset
For much of the first half, neither side managed to create sustained pressure despite Portugal seeing most of the ball. Croatia defended compactly, frustrated Ronaldo and company, and comfortably dealt with a series of harmless attacks.
The game changed completely after the break.
Croatia stunned the favourites when Ivan Perišić slipped into space to finish a precise cross from Josip Stanišić, putting Zlatko Dalić's team on course for one of the biggest surprises of the knockout stage.
Portugal immediately raised the intensity. Rafael Leão rattled the crossbar, while Mateo Kovačić hit the post at the other end in an end-to-end spell. Both teams also had goals ruled out after tight offside decisions, leaving the contest hanging by a thread.
Ronaldo Keeps Portugal Alive
As Croatia edged closer to victory, Portugal were thrown a lifeline.
Following a VAR review, referee Espen Eskås awarded a penalty after Nikola Vlašić fouled Renato Veiga inside the area. Cristiano Ronaldo showed no signs of nerves, drilling his spot-kick into the corner to level the score and register the first knockout-stage World Cup goal of his remarkable career.
The equaliser completely shifted the momentum, with Portugal throwing everything forward in search of a winner.
Ramos Delivers the Knockout Blow
Extra time looked inevitable until Portugal produced one final attack.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Rafael Leão curled a dangerous cross into the box, where Gonçalo Ramos climbed above three Croatian defenders to power a header beyond Dominik Livaković. The late strike sparked wild celebrations on the Portuguese bench.
Croatia thought they had one last chance when Joško Gvardiol found the net moments later, but VAR intervened again. Officials ruled that Mario Pašalić had been offside during the build-up, and the equaliser was disallowed after a lengthy review.
The controversial decision brought Croatia's tournament to an end and could also mark Luka Modrić's final World Cup appearance.
Portugal, meanwhile, march into the Round of 16, where they will meet Spain in one of the standout fixtures of the tournament.