TORONTO — Gonçalo Ramos scored deep into stoppage time as Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 in a dramatic World Cup Round-of-32 clash on Thursday, before VAR denied Croatia a last-gasp equalizer in a controversial finish.Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first-ever World Cup knockout-stage goal before Ramos sealed victory in the closing moments to send Portugal into a blockbuster Round-of-16 meeting with Spain.”First half we dominated the game. In the second half after the goal we got a little bit panicked, but this is football,” Ronaldo said. “After the penalty, I think it was a little bit better for us. We created a few chances and at the end of the day we deserved to win the match.”The match ended in controversy after Croatia thought it had forced extra time in the final seconds, only for Mario Pašalić’s goal to be ruled out for offside following a VAR review. Croatia supporters reacted by throwing bottles onto the pitch and whistling in protest.The encounter was billed as a meeting between two of football’s greatest veterans, with 41-year-old Ronaldo making his sixth World Cup appearance and 40-year-old Luka Modrić featuring in his fifth tournament.Former Real Madrid teammates Ronaldo and Modrić embraced before kickoff and shared another warm exchange after the final whistle.”I played with Luka for so many years,” Ronaldo said. “We’re nearly the same age. I think he’s a legend of football. He’s still a legend of football.”Croatia broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perišić finished from Josip Stanišić’s cross.Portugal responded in the 68th minute after Nikola Vlašić was penalized for a holding foul inside the penalty area. Ronaldo calmly converted from the spot with his trademark stuttering run-up, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to level the match.The goal was Ronaldo’s first in the knockout stages of the World Cup and continued his remarkable scoring run at the tournament.He was substituted in the 81st minute, but Portugal continued to press for a winner.Their breakthrough arrived in stoppage time when Ramos rose to head home the decisive goal, sparking wild celebrations among the Portuguese players and fans.Moments later, Croatia believed it had rescued the match when Pašalić found the net, but VAR confirmed he had been offside in the build-up, ending Croatia’s World Cup campaign in heartbreaking fashion.Portugal will now face neighboring rival Spain in one of the standout Round-of-16 fixtures as both Iberian powers continue their pursuit of World Cup glory.
TORONTO — Gonçalo Ramos scored deep into stoppage time as Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 in a dramatic World Cup Round-of-32 clash on Thursday, before VAR denied Croatia a last-gasp equalizer in a controversial finish.Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first-ever World Cup knockout-stage goal before Ramos sealed victory in the closing moments to send Portugal into a blockbuster Round-of-16 meeting with Spain.”First half we dominated the game. In the second half after the goal we got a little bit panicked, but this is football,” Ronaldo said. “After the penalty, I think it was a little bit better for us. We created a few chances and at the end of the day we deserved to win the match.”The match ended in controversy after Croatia thought it had forced extra time in the final seconds, only for Mario Pašalić’s goal to be ruled out for offside following a VAR review. Croatia supporters reacted by throwing bottles onto the pitch and whistling in protest.The encounter was billed as a meeting between two of football’s greatest veterans, with 41-year-old Ronaldo making his sixth World Cup appearance and 40-year-old Luka Modrić featuring in his fifth tournament.Former Real Madrid teammates Ronaldo and Modrić embraced before kickoff and shared another warm exchange after the final whistle.”I played with Luka for so many years,” Ronaldo said. “We’re nearly the same age. I think he’s a legend of football. He’s still a legend of football.”Croatia broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perišić finished from Josip Stanišić’s cross.Portugal responded in the 68th minute after Nikola Vlašić was penalized for a holding foul inside the penalty area. Ronaldo calmly converted from the spot with his trademark stuttering run-up, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to level the match.The goal was Ronaldo’s first in the knockout stages of the World Cup and continued his remarkable scoring run at the tournament.He was substituted in the 81st minute, but Portugal continued to press for a winner.Their breakthrough arrived in stoppage time when Ramos rose to head home the decisive goal, sparking wild celebrations among the Portuguese players and fans.Moments later, Croatia believed it had rescued the match when Pašalić found the net, but VAR confirmed he had been offside in the build-up, ending Croatia’s World Cup campaign in heartbreaking fashion.Portugal will now face neighboring rival Spain in one of the standout Round-of-16 fixtures as both Iberian powers continue their pursuit of World Cup glory.
