Portugal squeezed past Croatia in one of the most dramatic matches of the World Cup so far, scoring deep into stoppage time before surviving a lengthy VAR review to secure a 2-1 win in Toronto. Cristiano Ronaldos second-half penalty cancelled out Ivan Perisics opener before substitute Goncalo Ramos headed home in the 94th minute to seemingly send Portugal through.There was still time for more chaos as Croatia thought they had forced extra time through Josko Gvardiol in the 103rd minute, only for a VAR intervention to rule the goal out for offside and end their World Cup campaign in heartbreaking fashion.Table of ContentsPortugal dominate but fail to find breakthroughPerisic puts Croatia aheadRonaldo ends knockout droughtRamos delivers late dramaVAR heartbreak ends Croatias World CupPortugal dominate but fail to find breakthroughPortugal controlled much of the first half and created the better chances, but found Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic in inspired form.Croatia threatened early when Ante Budimir forced Diogo Costa into a save, but Roberto Martinezs side soon took control.Bruno Fernandes tested Livakovic twice from Rafael Leaos dangerous run, while Joao Cancelo volleyed over after another threatening Portugal corner.Cristiano Ronaldo also had opportunities, firing a free-kick into the wall before narrowly failing to connect with a teasing cross from Pedro Neto.Perisic puts Croatia aheadCroatia emerged with far greater intent after the interval and immediately began asking questions of Portugals defence.Diogo Costa denied Mateo Kovacic and Nikola Vlasic early in the second half before Zlatko Dalics side found the breakthrough in the 53rd minute.Josip Stanisic delivered an inviting cross into the penalty area, where the unmarked Perisic controlled the ball before firing a low finish across Costa and into the far corner.Croatia almost doubled their advantage shortly afterwards when Igor Matanovic finished from close range, but the goal was ruled out for offside.Portugal looked rattled, and Kovacic came within inches of extending the lead when Costa tipped his curling effort onto the post.Ronaldo ends knockout droughtPortugal gradually regained their composure and were handed a route back into the match midway through the second half.Following a lengthy VAR review, Croatia were penalised when Vlasic was judged to have pulled Veigas shirt inside the area at a corner.Ronaldo stepped forward and calmly converted the resulting penalty, firing straight down the middle to score his first-ever goal in a World Cup knockout match.Ramos delivers late dramaCroatia came agonisingly close to finding a late winner when Mario Pasalic headed wide from Luka Modrics superb cross.Instead, it was Portugal who struck the decisive blow.Four minutes into stoppage time, Leao burst into space down the left and delivered a magnificent cross into the area. Goncalo Ramos rose between two defenders and powered a header into the top corner to send the Portugal supporters into celebration.The goal appeared to have settled the contest, but the drama was far from over.VAR heartbreak ends Croatias World CupWith time almost expired, Croatia launched one final attack.Perisics hopeful cross from the left was flicked on by Matanovic and eventually fell to Gvardiol, who smashed home from close range to spark wild celebrations among the Croatian players and supporters.However, the goal was checked by VAR.After a lengthy review and an on-field consultation, officials ruled that Pasalic had been offside when Matanovic made the faintest of touches on the ball, according to the device installed inside the ball itself, meaning the goal could not stand.The decision provoked furious reactions from Croatias players and supporters, with bottles thrown onto the pitch causing a further delay before the match could finally be concluded.When the final whistle eventually arrived after 19 minutes of stoppage time, Portugal were left celebrating a remarkable and rather fortunate win, to set up a last-16 clash with Spain. Topics Croatia National Football Team Portugal National Football Team Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Former Tottenham winger Perisic gives Croatia lead over Portugal before Ronaldo has goal ruled out Mitch Fretton 3rd July, 2026 LIVE Portugal v Croatia: Commentary, updates, goals and stats as Ronaldo looks to end Modrics career Jon Fisher 1st July, 2026 World Cup 2026 live: Portugal vs Croatia confirmed teams and full line ups, TV channel, live online stream and stats Mitch Fretton 2nd July, 2026 World Cup boss dodges Cristiano Ronaldo question before Portugal vs Croatia: They are above public opinion Ben Miller 2nd July, 2026 Portugal v Croatia: World Cup 2026 line-ups, stats and TV streams as Ronaldo looks to get back on goal train Jon Fisher 1st July, 2026 Croatia star calls World Cup idol Cristiano Ronaldo not the best footballer: Weve seen its Messi Ben Miller 30th June, 2026
