Ramos header sends Portugal past Croatia into Spain clash
SkimNews Take
Ronaldo entered as a substitute, scored the equalizer, but the stoppage-time winner came from Gonçalo Ramos — encapsulating the generational handover already underway in Portugal's attack.
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- Gonçalo Ramos entered for Ronaldo in the 81st minute and headed Portugal's winner four minutes into stoppage time, continuing a résumé that includes a 2022 World Cup hat trick against Switzerland and nine goals with two assists across 701 minutes of FIFA and UEFA play.
- Croatia had three goals ruled out for offside, including Josko Gvardiol's apparent last-second equalizer, which prompted fans to throw empty water bottles onto the field in protest; coach Zlatko Dalić said afterward, "We didn't deserve a defeat like this."
- Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty after Nikola Vlasic dragged Renato Veiga down in the box, then was substituted — the first time Portugal manager Roberto Martínez has taken him off in this tournament.
- Ivan Perisic, 37, opened the scoring for Croatia in the 53rd minute and became only the sixth player to score in four World Cups, joining Messi, Ronaldo, Klose, Pelé and Seeler.
- Rafael Leão made his first start of the tournament and set up Ramos's winner with a chipped cross, while also hitting the post in the 58th minute and leading Portugal attackers with 276 meters of progressive carries.
- Portugal advances to face Spain in Arlington, Texas on Monday, after Spain beat Austria 3-0; the two sides have met seven times in the past 15 years, with all but one ending in a draw or penalty shootout.
- Luka Modric finished with 66 touches, three tackles and dangerous second-half corners in what is almost certainly his last World Cup appearance, and Martínez called him "a beautiful example" of how to play the game "with the capacity to think."
Why it matters: Ronaldo's tournament life extends by one match while Modric's likely ends, and the win hands Martínez his first in-game Ronaldo sub of the tournament — a vote of confidence in Ramos and Leão. Portugal now faces Spain in a fixture that has produced six draws or penalty shootouts in their last seven meetings dating back 15 years.
