VAR controversy as Ronaldo's Portugal edges Croatia 2-1 to reach World Cup Round of 16

Portugal dramatically advanced to the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers after a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory against Croatia. The match, held at Toronto Stadium, saw VAR play a pivotal role, influencing the fates of both Luka Modrić and Cristiano Ronaldo. Croatia initially took the lead in the 53rd minute with a left-footed strike from Josip Stanišić, assisted by Ivan Perišić. Portugal thought they had equalized in the 61st minute when Ronaldo found the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside. However, Ronaldo redeemed himself in the 68th minute by converting a penalty, leveling the score and marking his first-ever goal in a World Cup tournament. This goal also brought his total World Cup tally to 11. The decisive moment came in stoppage time when Gonçalo Ramos scored a header, securing the dramatic win for Portugal. With this victory, Portugal is set to face Spain in the next round on July 7th, with a place in the quarterfinals at stake.