“Nobody wins easily in the World Cup,” Ronaldo after Portugal’s qualification.

Cristiano Ronaldo savored Portugal’s qualification for the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, achieved after a remarkable comeback against Croatia (2-1). Struggling after Ivan Perišić opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, the Seleção found the resources to turn the tide. Ronaldo first leveled the match by converting a penalty in the 68th minute, scoring his first goal in the knockout stage of a World Cup.

Substituted in the second half, Gonçalo Ramos then secured the victory for Roberto Martínez’s men with a winning header in stoppage time. Croatia thought they had forced extra time, but Joško Gvardiol’s goal was ultimately disallowed for offside. At the final whistle, the Portuguese captain acknowledged that his team had faced difficult moments while emphasizing that challenges are an integral part of the World Cup.

“It was a special match. We dominated the first half, but much less in the second. After their goal, we started to doubt. The match became very open, but that’s the World Cup: no one wins easily,” Ronaldo said in comments reported by O Jogo. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner also stressed the need to improve with every match. “ We must analyze our mistakes and avoid repeating them. We have gone through tough moments, but that’s part of football. If we want to go all the way, we must be able to overcome these kinds of challenges,” he added.

With three goals in four matches in this 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to lead Portugal, which will face reigning European champions Spain in a highly anticipated quarter-final clash on Monday at the Dallas stadium.