World Cup 2026 / Controversy and tension as Portugal come from behind to beat Croatia 2-1: Iberian derby against Spain in the Round of 16

After 110 minutes filled with grit, emotion, goals, cards, and controversy, Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch, managed to come from behind and defeat Croatia 2-1 today in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup. In the Round of 16, we will have the only all-European clash of this stage: the Iberian derby between Portugal and Spain, set to be played on July 6 at 9:00 PM.

The first half ended goalless despite chances for both teams. At the start of the second half, specifically in the 53rd minute, Ivan Perišić gave the Balkan side a temporary lead with a fine goal from inside the box.

In the 61st minute, Cristiano Ronaldo found the net, but the goal was ruled out for a marginal offside. Coach Roberto Martínez then made four substitutions for the Portuguese side, increasing the attacking pressure. It took a corner delivery and a foul on Veiga inside the penalty area for Norwegian referee Espen Eskås, after consulting VAR, to award a penalty.

Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to take the penalty and calmly converted, sending the ball into the net past goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, despite the shot being placed down the middle. Ronaldo now has 11 goals in the six World Cups he has participated in, with three goals scored in this edition.

Today’s strike was CR7’s first-ever goal in the knockout stage of a World Cup. At 41 years and 147 days old, he also became the oldest player in history to score in the tournament.

After conceding, Croatia took control of the game and managed to find the net through Sučić, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside. Martínez later substituted Ronaldo, but the match remained packed with drama.

In the fourth minute of added time, a cross from Rafael Leão allowed Gonçalo Ramos to score with a header for Portugal, completing a dramatic 2-1 comeback despite being surrounded by two defenders.

In the final action of the game, deep into the 13th minute of stoppage time, Croatia equalized through Joško Gvardiol, who had just come on. However, the Croatian celebrations were cut short after VAR intervention. Following a review, the referee disallowed the goal for a touch that has already sparked major controversy.

The lengthy review extended the match to 110 minutes, and it ended with Portugal securing a 2-1 victory. The Portuguese now prepare for a derby clash against Spain in the Round of 16.

There was heartbreak, tears, and disappointment for Croatia, as the Balkan side delivered a performance of the highest technical, tactical, and physical level. For legend Luka Modrić, this appeared to be the “last dance” in the Croatian national team shirt.

The match ended with an emotional moment as Ronaldo wore the No. 21 jersey of the late Diogo Jota and dedicated the victory to him, raising his eyes and hands toward the sky.

“KORÇA BOOM”