Portugal fought back from a goal down to beat Croatia 2-1 in a dramatic Round of 32 clash at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Cristiano Ronaldo finally ending his long wait for a knockout-stage goal at the tournament.

Croatia struck first in Toronto through Ivan Perisic, who found the net in the 53rd minute to send the Croatian fans into raptures. But Portugal, who had dominated large spells of the game without carving out clear chances, hit back when Ronaldo stepped up to convert a penalty in the 68th minute after Nikola Vlasic was penalised for fouling Renato Veiga inside the box. The goal was a landmark moment for the 41-year-old, who had gone eight straight World Cup knockout matches without scoring before Thursday’s breakthrough.

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez withdrew Ronaldo in the 81st minute, but his introduction of Goncalo Ramos proved decisive. Ramos rose highest to head home Rafael Leao’s cross in the fourth minute of stoppage time, snatching victory from a Croatian side that had created the better chances for large stretches of the contest. Croatia thought they had salvaged a draw in the closing seconds when Josko Gvardiol turned home, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review, leaving the Croatians stunned as Portugal’s players celebrated wildly.

The result sends Portugal into the Round of 16, where they will face European champions Spain on July 6 in Dallas. Spain cruised into the same stage earlier on Thursday with a 3-0 win over Austria in Los Angeles. For Ronaldo, the win extends his remarkable World Cup story, having already become the first player to score in six different editions of the tournament during Portugal’s group stage campaign.

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