Substitute Goncalo Ramos’ dramatic stoppage-time header gave Portugal a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Croatia at Toronto Stadium on Friday. The thrilling win ensured Portugal’s place in the last 16 ahead of a blockbuster Iberian derby with neighbors Spain on Monday.The high-stakes encounter ended in major controversy. In stoppage time, Croatia, trailing 2-1, thought they had entered overtime with the final goal of the game. However, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened after a lengthy review and ruled that Mario Pasalic was offside. The decision sparked an outcry from Croatian fans, who threw bottles onto the pitch and whistled loudly.Earlier, Croatia broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute when defender Josip Stanisic delivered a pinpoint cross from the right wing and veteran winger Ivan Perisic slotted the ball past Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Portugal’s World Cup dreams are in serious jeopardy as they fall one goal behind.However, the 2016 European champions fought back and won a crucial penalty. portuguese amulet cristiano ronaldo In the 68th minute, he calmly took a penalty kick to tie the score at 1-1. With this clinical goal, the 41-year-old maestro made history and became the oldest goalscorer in history. fifa world cup. Notably, this also marked Ronaldo’s first goal in the knockout stages of the World Cup.Realizing the need for new energy, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez made a brave tactical gamble by replacing Ronaldo in the 82nd minute. The move paid off in the 94th minute with winger Rafael Leão’s beautiful cross into the box. The astute Ramos anticipated this perfectly, beating Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic with a powerful header to seal victory.The defeat marked a heartbreaking end to Luka Modric’s iconic international career. The 40-year-old midfield maestro led the national team to second place in 2018 and third place in 2022, but he failed to create the final miracle in his fifth and final World Cup campaign. Portugal will now face a strong Spanish side in what promises to be an exciting pre-quarter-final clash.
