Portugal survives Croatia scare with late goal to reach round of 16

Gonçalo Ramos headed Portugal into the round of 16 with a 94th-minute winner that survived a VAR-fueled finish and ended Croatia’s hopes at BMO Field in Toronto. Cristiano Ronaldo had already scored in the second half, giving Portugal a lead before Croatia forced the match into chaos with a stoppage-time equalizer that was later ruled out.

Portugal’s 2-1 win in the 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32 came Thursday, July 2, and it carried Ronaldo deeper into another knockout run. The 41-year-old scored his first career World Cup knockout-stage goal before being substituted off, a milestone that briefly looked likely to be overshadowed by Croatia’s late surge. Instead, Portugal held on long enough for Ramos to decide the match with a header from Rafael Leão’s cross.

The finish fit the pattern that has made this tournament feel so volatile: one swing, then another, then a review that changes everything. Croatia thought it had pulled level in stoppage time, but the goal was wiped away after the VAR and offsides check, leaving Portugal to escape a match that had tilted between control and panic in a matter of minutes. ESPN described the game as a dramatic round-of-32 clash, while other coverage called the result chaotic and controversial.

Portugal also entered the match with the added emotional weight of playing in honor of the late Diogo Jota, and the victory kept that run alive for at least one more round. The reward is immediate and severe: a round-of-16 meeting with Spain on Monday at 3 p.m. ET, a knockout matchup that gives Portugal little time to settle after a night when thin margins nearly sent it home.