Portugal rallies past Croatia in the final moments to seal spot in the Round of 16

Portugal staged a late comeback to defeat Croatia 2-1, securing their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. The match, held in Toronto, saw Portugal overcome an early deficit to advance, setting up a clash with Spain.

Croatia took the lead in the second half through Ivan Perišić, who scored his fourth consecutive World Cup goal. However, Portugal responded quickly. Cristiano Ronaldo equalized with his first knockout stage goal in a World Cup, and substitute Gonçalo Ramos completed the comeback with the winning goal in added time.

In a dramatic turn of events, Croatia appeared to have scored a late equalizer, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review. This decision confirmed Portugal's victory and ended Croatia's World Cup campaign.

Throughout the match, Portugal's left flank, featuring Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leão, was a source of attacking threat. Despite early dominance, they struggled to convert chances until the second half. Croatia, after taking the lead, pushed for another goal, but Portugal's defense, marshaled by players like Rúben Dias and João Cancelo, held firm after the initial setback. The late VAR decision proved decisive in a tightly contested match.