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Portugal has secured their spot in the World Cup Round of 16, defeating Croatia 2-1 in a match filled with drama. The excitement of extra time, multiple disallowed goals, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic goal—all contributed to a truly memorable encounter.
Long-time Real Madrid teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić faced each other perhaps for the last time on the World Cup stage. Ultimately, it was Ronaldo who smiled at the end of this contest, while Modrić’s Croatia bid farewell to the World Cup.
Neither team found the net in the first half. Despite Portugal’s dominance in possession and attacks, they failed to score. After the break, in the 54th minute, Ivan Perišić broke the deadlock from a scramble inside the box, putting Croatia ahead.
In the 61st minute, a goal by Ronaldo was disallowed due to offside. However, shortly after, Portugal was awarded a penalty when Raphaël Leão was fouled from a corner. Ronaldo converted the spot-kick, bringing his team level. This marked his first career goal in the World Cup knockout stages.
Both teams then created several opportunities. Two Croatian goals were disallowed for offside, while Gonçalo Ramos saw his shot rebound off the crossbar. In the 80th minute, coach Roberto Martínez substituted Ronaldo.
When the fourth official announced 10 minutes of added time, it seemed likely the match would head into extra time. However, in the third minute of injury time, Gonçalo Ramos headed home from a precise cross by Raphaël Leão, putting Portugal ahead 2-1.
The game continued for almost 18 minutes, even after the initial 10 minutes of added time had elapsed. In the 10+12th minute, Croatia thought they had equalized, but the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review. With no further changes, Portugal ultimately secured a thrilling 2-1 victory and their place in the Round of 16.