Portugal edged Croatia in a tense Round of 32 clash that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.
Croatia's Ivan Perišić broke the deadlock to fire them into a 1-0 lead, converting a cross from Josip Stanišić at the back post.
Cristiano Ronaldo leveled the score 1-1 by converting a penalty straight down the middle. This strike also marked Ronaldo's first-ever goal in a World Cup knockout stage across his six tournament appearances.
Shortly after, manager Roberto Martínez substituted Ronaldo for Ruben Neves.
For the second goal, Portugal's Gonçalo Ramos rose to head home a cross from Rafael Leão, giving Portugal a 2-1 lead. However, the drama was far from over, as a late VAR decision in the closing stages overshadowed the winner.
Why was Croatia’s Equaliser disallowed by VAR?
Croatia thought they had forced extra time when Josko Gvardiol found the back of the net deep into stoppage time. Initially, Mario Pašalić was in an onside position when Ivan Perišić delivered the cross into the penalty area. However, after a VAR review, the officials determined that Igor Matanović had made a slight touch on the ball before it reached Pašalić.
Photo by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images
That touch proved decisive. By the time Matanović redirected the cross, Pašalić had moved into an offside position, prompting the referee to disallow Gvardiol's goal. The decision sparked furious protests from the Croatian players and their supporters, with many questioning whether Matanović's touch was visible in the available broadcast replays.
