Ramos header seals Portugal's 2-1 comeback over Croatia
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- Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 in the World Cup round of 32, coming from behind for only the second time in the nation's tournament history.
- Cristiano Ronaldo converted a 68th-minute penalty to equalize — his first knockout-stage World Cup goal — but watched Ramos's stoppage-time winner from the bench.
- Gonçalo Ramos headed in the decisive goal off a Rafael Leão pass in stoppage time to complete Portugal's comeback.
- Ivan Perisic opened the scoring for Croatia in the 53rd minute off a cross from Josip Sanisic.
- Mario Pasalic had what would have been a 2-2 equalizer ruled out for offside by VAR in the final moments, prompting Croatian fans to throw bottles on the field in protest — the 10th goal overruled by VAR at the 2026 World Cup.
- Luka Modrić saw his fifth World Cup end in the round of 32; the match was the first in World Cup history to feature two outfield players aged 40 or older, as Modrić and former Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo shared a hug at midfield.
- Spain awaits Portugal in Monday's round-of-16 clash.
Why it matters: Portugal's comeback sets up a blockbuster round-of-16 clash with Spain on Monday, while VAR's 10th overruled goal of the 2026 World Cup — Croatia's disallowed stoppage-time equalizer — caps a tournament already defined by late-match tech drama. Croatia's exit ends Luka Modrić's fifth World Cup at age 40, closing the book on a generation that reached the 2018 final and 2022 third-place finish.
