World Cup 2026: Portugal beats Croatia in stoppage time, Spain cruises past Austria

Portugal advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia. The match, held in Toronto, saw Portugal come from behind in a fiercely contested second half.

Croatia took the lead in the 53rd minute through veteran Ivan Perišić. However, Portugal equalized in the 68th minute when Cristiano Ronaldo, in his first World Cup knockout stage goal, converted a penalty awarded after a VAR review. The decisive blow came in stoppage time, with substitute Gonçalo Ramos scoring the winner in the 94th minute.

The victory means Portugal will face European champions Spain in the next round. For Croatia, the defeat marks the end of the World Cup careers of players like Luka Modrić. The match also held emotional significance as it fell on the first anniversary of the death of former Portuguese national player Diogo Jota, who died in a traffic accident a year prior. The Portuguese team had dedicated their World Cup campaign to his memory.

Earlier in the day, Spain had comfortably defeated Austria 3-0, also advancing to the quarter-finals. The Spanish team will now prepare to meet Portugal in what promises to be a highly anticipated encounter.

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We want to win the World Cup for our former teammate.