Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 to reach last 16, CR7 sets record | OneFootball

The match played at BMO Field in Canada will go down in the history books. This clash marked Cristiano Ronaldo’s first celebration in a knockout-stage tie in World Cup history.

The second half unfolded like an emotional roller coaster. Croatia struck first in the seventh minute through wing-back Ivan Perišić, but Portugal responded in the 22nd minute thanks to a penalty coolly converted by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Just when the match seemed destined to end in a draw, striker Gonçalo Ramos emerged in the third minute of stoppage time to make it 2-1 and spark wild celebrations among the Portuguese fans.

The ending came close to a suspense film. In the final play, Croatian defender Joško Gvardiol scored the equalizer, but the goal was ruled out for a razor-thin offside detected technologically by the ball’s internal chip after an almost imperceptible touch.

With this hard-fought victory secured, Portugal booked its place in the round of 16. In the knockout stage, it will face Spain in a thrilling showdown scheduled for next Monday, July 6, at 4:00 p.m. (Argentina time).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.