Cristiano Ronaldo scored a historic penalty as Portugal staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Croatia 2-1 on Friday and book a place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Portugal dominated the opening stages, with Ronaldo, Pedro Neto and Rafael Leão stretching Croatia’s defence through sustained attacking pressure.
Rafael Leão nearly created an early opener in the fourth minute when he cut the ball back for Bruno Fernandes, whose low effort was superbly saved by goalkeeper Dominik Livaković.
Pedro Neto continued to trouble Croatia with his pace, while Ronaldo came close to connecting with several dangerous deliveries into the penalty area.
Croatia gradually settled into the contest as Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić took control in midfield, helping their side withstand Portugal’s early pressure.
The breakthrough came in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perišić expertly finished Josip Stanišić’s cross to hand Croatia a 1-0 lead.
Portugal responded with greater urgency, pushing forward in search of an equaliser against Croatia’s disciplined defence.
Their persistence paid off in the 68th minute after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) awarded Portugal a penalty for Nikola Vlašić’s foul on Renato Veiga.
Ronaldo calmly converted from the spot, sending Livaković the wrong way to score his first-ever FIFA World Cup knockout-stage goal and level the match at 1-1.
The Portugal captain’s strike lifted both his teammates and the crowd as momentum swung decisively in Portugal’s favour.
Coach Roberto Martínez replaced Ronaldo in the 81st minute as Portugal introduced fresh legs in search of a late winner.
Croatia thought they had restored their lead soon afterwards, but the goal was ruled out for offside following another VAR review.
Portugal completed the comeback in stoppage time when substitute Gonçalo Ramos powered home a header from Rafael Leão’s cross in the 94th minute to make it 2-1.
Ronaldo celebrated from the bench as Ramos’s goal sparked jubilant scenes among Portugal’s players and supporters.
Croatia believed they had forced extra time when Joško Gvardiol found the net in the 103rd minute, but VAR ruled out the goal after detecting an offside involving Mario Pašalić in the build-up.
The decision prompted angry protests from Croatian players and supporters before the referee confirmed the final verdict.
“It was a difficult match, but we believed until the end,” Ronaldo said after the victory.
Portugal will now face Spain in the quarter-finals as Ronaldo’s quest for a first FIFA World Cup title continues.
Source: NAN
