Portugal break Croatian hearts with INSANE World Cup finish | OneFootball

By Cal Meachem

The second half of Thursday night's Round of 32 matchup between Portugal and Croatia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be talked about for years to come.

After a cagey first half that saw neither team find the back of the net, the game sprang to life in its latter stages with multiple close calls, Cristiano Ronaldo's first-ever World Cup knockout-round goal and some stunning stoppage-time moments in an eventual 2-1 Portugal win.

Late drama

The drama began in the 75th minute, with the score level at 1-1 after Ronaldo's 68th-minute penalty-kick goal canceled out Ivan Perišić's 53rd-minute opener.

Croatia nearly retook their lead when Mateo Kovačić rattled the upright from 25 yards. Five minutes later, the Vatreni had the ball in the back of the net through Petar Sučić, but the flag was raised on an extremely tight offside call.

It was Portugal who found the breakthrough via an outstanding goal in the 94th minute. AC Milan winger Rafael Leão whipped in a picture-perfect cross which was met by his new club teammate Gonçalo Ramos, who guided his header into the right corner to hand his country a 2-1 lead in the dying moments of the match.

Wild scenes

Surely there was no way back for Croatia.

And yet, in the 12th minute of added time, Perišić lofted a cross into the box that pinballed around until Mario Pašalić eventually found the feet of Manchester City defender Joško Gvardiol for the tap-in, sending Toronto Stadium into a frenzy.

The Croatian celebrations were short-lived, however. Referee Espen Eskås went to the Video Review monitor and ruled offside due to the faintest of flicked-on touches from striker Igor Matanović, who had made initial contact with Perišić's cross.

The controversial decision left Croatians on the field and in the stands heartbroken, as time ran out.

End of the road

Croatia's elimination also means the end of the World Cup for the MLS duo of Petar Musa (FC Dallas) and Marco Pašalić (Orlando City). 

Neither featured in Thursday's loss, but both took advantage of their time on the world's stage. Musa scored his first World Cup goal in Croatia's opener against England, while Pašalić played a key role in their 1-0 Group L win over Panama. 

The result also likely spelled the end of Croatia's Golden Generation, which includes legendary midfielder Luka Modrić as well as stars Kovačić and Perišić. All three helped the Vatreni reach the World Cup final in 2018 and the semifinals in 2022.  

Meanwhile, the Ronaldo-led Portugal survive and advance, with their sights still firmly set on winning the nation's first-ever World Cup title.

Next up for the Seleção das Quinas? A date with Spain in the Round of 16 on Monday at Dallas Stadium.