Portugal are through. As of July 3, 2026, Roberto Martínez's side have survived their Round of 32 test, coming from behind to beat Croatia 2-1 and advance to the Round of 16 Match centre vs Croatia — official record. It was not comfortable. It was not pretty for long stretches. But a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo and a stoppage-time header from substitute Gonçalo Ramos got the job done.
Croatia opened the scoring in the 53rd minute through Ivan Perišić (as of July 3, 2026). Portugal looked rattled. Martínez responded with a quadruple substitution in the 62nd minute, and the changes tilted the match .
Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot in the 68th minute after Renato Veiga was brought down in the box (as of July 3, 2026). It was Ronaldo's first-ever World Cup knockout-stage goal .
Then, deep into stoppage time, Ramos — who had replaced Ronaldo in the 81st minute — headed home in the 94th minute to seal the win . Croatia had a late effort from Joško Gvardiol ruled out for offside after VAR confirmed Mario Pašalić was offside in the build-up . The final whistle came seconds later.
Portugal advance. Croatia go home.
How the Match Unfolded
Portugal dominated possession and created the better chances across the 90 minutes . But Croatia were dangerous on the counter, and Perišić's goal in the 53rd minute rewarded their resilience (as of July 3, 2026).
Martínez made four substitutions in the 62nd minute: Francisco Conceição for Pedro Neto, Nélson Semedo for Bruno Fernandes, Gonçalo Ramos for João Cancelo, and Bernardo Silva for Vitinha . It was an aggressive reshuffle. The fifth and final change came in the 81st minute, with Rúben Neves replacing Ronaldo .
The penalty that brought Portugal level came when Veiga was fouled in the box. Ronaldo stepped up and converted . For a player who has scored at the highest level for over two decades, the fact that this was his first knockout-stage World Cup goal underlines how elusive this tournament has been for him.
Ramos's winner arrived in the 94th minute . Croatia thought they had rescued a draw moments later through Gvardiol, but VAR intervened to disallow the goal for offside . A brutal ending for a proud Croatian generation.
Portugal's Road to This Point
Portugal entered the knockout rounds with a trailing-12-month record of 8 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss across 13 matches, scoring 32 goals and conceding 10 . In Group K, they beat Uzbekistan 5-0 and drew with both DR Congo (1-1) and Colombia (0-0). Enough to qualify. Not enough to convince (as of July 3, 2026).
This knockout win against Croatia follows the same pattern. Portugal had enough quality to win but left it dangerously late. The squad depth Martínez drew on — Conceição, Bernardo Silva, Ramos off the bench — proved decisive. The question is whether that depth can carry them further.
For the full Portugal squad breakdown, player minutes, and World Cup tracking, visit the country hub.
What Comes Next
Portugal will face Spain in the Round of 16 . An Iberian derby on the World Cup stage. It does not get much bigger than that.
Martínez will need to decide whether Ronaldo starts or whether the impact-sub role that produced the Croatia winner is the template going forward. Ramos scored the goal that mattered most. That changes the conversation.
Key Players From This Match
- Cristiano Ronaldo — 2 NT goals in 380 minutes across 5 appearances over the last 12 months. Converted the penalty that kept Portugal alive. Was substituted in the 81st minute (as of July 3, 2026).
- Gonçalo Ramos — 0 NT goals in 149 minutes across 4 appearances over the last 12 months coming into this match. Changed that record in the most dramatic way possible. 12 club goals in 1,730 minutes at Paris Saint-Germain this season (as of July 3, 2026).
- Renato Veiga — 455 NT minutes across 7 appearances. Won the penalty that turned the match. A growing presence in this squad (as of July 3, 2026).
- Bruno Fernandes — 529 NT minutes, 1 goal, 2 assists across 7 appearances. Started and was replaced in the 62nd minute as part of the quadruple substitution (as of July 3, 2026).
When does Portugal play Spain in the Round of 16?
Portugal face Spain in the Round of 16 on July 6, with the match scheduled in Dallas . It is an Iberian derby at the biggest stage in world football — the first time these neighbors have met in the World Cup knockouts.
Who scored for Portugal against Croatia?
Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot in the 68th minute . Gonçalo Ramos, on as a substitute, headed the winner in the 94th minute . Ivan Perišić had scored for Croatia in the 53rd minute.
How did Portugal line up for the Round of 32?
Roberto Martínez started a 4-2-3-1 with Diogo Costa in goal, a back four of João Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Renato Veiga, and Nuno Mendes, Vitinha and João Neves in midfield, Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, and Rafael Leão behind Cristiano Ronaldo . He made five substitutions during the match.
What does this result mean for Cristiano Ronaldo?
Ronaldo's penalty was his first-ever World Cup knockout-stage goal . He was substituted in the 81st minute and watched from the bench as Ramos, his replacement, scored the winner. Whether Ronaldo starts or comes off the bench against Spain is now the defining question of Portugal's tournament.
Why was Croatia's late equalizer disallowed?
Joško Gvardiol's stoppage-time goal was ruled out after VAR confirmed that Mario Pašalić was in an offside position during the build-up . The decision ended Croatia's hopes of forcing extra time and likely brought a close to this generation's World Cup run.