Gonçalo Ramos seals Portugal’s late win over Croatia in World Cup knockout

Gonçalo Ramos rose in the 94th minute and sent Portugal into the round of 16, capping a brutal stoppage-time swing that denied Croatia an equalizer after a VAR offside review. Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at Toronto Stadium in a World Cup round of 32 match that turned on late-game nerve and millimeter-level margins.

Croatia had gone ahead through Ivan Perišić in the 53rd minute, and the match shifted again when Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty in the 68th to level it for Portugal. Ronaldo’s goal came in front of 43,036 spectators in Toronto and added another chapter to a career that has carried him to 41 years old, while Luka Modrić, 40, stood on the other side in what looked like one of the last World Cup runs for both veterans.

The finish was defined by stoppage-time chaos. Josko Gvardiol had what looked like a dramatic equalizer, only for the goal to be wiped out after VAR identified Mario Pašalić in an offside position in the buildup. ESPN counted four separate attacks ruled out for offside across the match, a statistic that captured how tightly the game was refereed and how little room Croatia had to breathe at the end.

Portugal’s winner came almost immediately after that reprieve. Ramos, who had also finished the move in the 90+4 minute, met the decisive chance with a header after an assist from Rafael Leão, sealing a result that carried Portugal into the next stage and set up a meeting with Spain. The outcome left Roberto Martínez’s side one step closer to a first World Cup title, while Croatia’s run ended with another sharp reminder of how quickly knockout football can turn from hope to heartbreak.