World Cup 2026: Portugal eliminate Croatia 2-1 in round of 32 as Ronaldo and Ramos score

Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 at BMO Field in Toronto to reach the 2026 World Cup round of 16, with Cristiano Ronaldo equalising and Gonçalo Ramos scoring in stoppage time.

Henry DONCHE

View all articles

On 3 Jul 2026 at 02:12 Updated 3 Jul 2026

FOOTBALL

22 views

Illustration du match Portugal VS Croatie, le 03/07/2026 00:00, stade Toronto Stadium

3 min read

Google News Comment

SUMMARY

Portugal solid around the Ronaldo-Leão duo and an organised defence
A battling Croatia fall short against Portugal’s solidity

Portugal booked their place in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup by beating Croatia 2-1 at BMO Field in Toronto on Thursday in a knockout match. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was the key figure in the contest, scoring the equaliser before Gonçalo Ramos sealed the win in stoppage time.

The match brought together two teams set up in a 4-2-3-1, led respectively by Roberto Martinez for Portugal and Zlatko Dalic for Croatia. It was played in front of a vibrant BMO Field, with a major prize on the horizon — qualification for the quarter-finals, representing a significant step toward the world title. Despite an even start, Portugal managed to prevail against a solid Croatia side that lacked a decisive cutting edge.

The match featured several important incidents, including an early yellow card shown to Rúben Dias for a foul in the 17th minute. After the break, Ivan Perišić opened the scoring with an unstoppable strike in the 53rd minute, rewarding Croatia’s efforts. Portugal’s response came quickly through Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored his eighth World Cup goal in the 68th minute, equalising and lifting his team. The substitutions added energy to the exchanges, notably the introduction of Gonçalo Ramos, who delivered the decisive goal in the 94th minute after an assist from Rafael Leão. Portugal thus confirmed their status as favourites after an effective collective performance.

Statistically, Portugal dominated possession with 60% and registered 15 shots to Croatia’s 13. The Portuguese were more accurate with their passing, completing 91%, and won nine corners to five. Defensively, goalkeeper Diogo Costa stood out with five major saves, helping his team to victory. Croatia, led by captain Luka Modrić, lacked efficiency at key moments despite producing a comparable number of shots.

Portugal solid around the Ronaldo-Leão duo and an organised defence

Roberto Martinez selected a very well-balanced 4-2-3-1, with Diogo Costa in goal and a defensive line made up of João Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Renato Veiga and Nuno Mendes. In midfield, João Neves and Vitinha handled ball recovery, while Bruno Fernandes orchestrated play behind an attack led by Pedro Neto, Rafael Leão and Cristiano Ronaldo, the latter bringing the experience and sharpness of his 41 years. The decision to start Leão gave Ronaldo additional attacking punch, and that was reflected in the final outcome. Gonçalo Ramos’s second-half introduction also influenced the game, with his goal delivering the late victory.

A battling Croatia fall short against Portugal’s solidity

Zlatko Dalic’s side lined up in their traditional 4-2-3-1 with Dominik Livaković in goal and a defence featuring Josip Stanišić, Josip Šutalo, Marin Pongračić and Ivan Perišić. The midfield was managed by the experienced Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić, supported by Nikola Vlašić, Petar Sučić and Martin Baturina, with Ante Budimir leading the line. Despite Perišić’s opener, Croatia were unable to hold on to their advantage and lacked attacking impact in the final minutes. The tactical changes, notably the introduction of Ante Budimir immediately after the restart and those of Mario Pašalić or Joško Gvardiol late in the match, were not enough to turn the situation around.

This elimination brings an end to Croatia’s World Cup campaign, after they were finalists in 2018, while Portugal continue their quest toward the later stages of the tournament, driven by the determination of their senior players and their renewed attack.

Portugal

Finished 2-1 Toronto Stadium

Croatia

03/07/2026 00:00 Round of 32

Fil du match

17'Carton jaune - R. DiasPortugal, 17e
46'Remplacement - A. Budimir (remplace I. Matanovic)Croatie, 46e
53'But - I. PerisicCroatie, 53e
59'Carton jaune - L. ModricCroatie, 59e
61'VAR - C. RonaldoPortugal, 61e
62'Remplacement - Vitinha (remplace B. Silva)Portugal, 62e
63'Remplacement - P. Neto (remplace F. Conceicao)Portugal, 63e
63'Remplacement - B. Fernandes (remplace N. Semedo)Portugal, 63e
63'Remplacement - J. Cancelo (remplace G. Ramos)Portugal, 63e
68'But - C. RonaldoPortugal, 68e
68'Remplacement - M. Baturina (remplace M. Pasalic)Croatie, 68e
81'VAR - P. SucicCroatie, 81e
81'Remplacement - C. Ronaldo (remplace R. Neves)Portugal, 81e
90+2'Remplacement - N. Vlasic (remplace J. Gvardiol)Croatie, 90+2e
90+4'But - G. Ramos (passe R. Leao)Portugal, 90+4e
90+6'Remplacement - M. Kovacic (remplace A. Kramaric)Croatie, 90+6e
90+8'Carton jaune - I. PerisicCroatie, 90+8e
90+13'VAR - J. GvardiolCroatie, 90+13e

Les chiffres du match

Tirs cadres : Portugal 3 / Croatia 6
Tirs : Portugal 15 / Croatia 13
Possession : Portugal 60% / Croatia 40%
Corners : Portugal 9 / Croatia 5
Fautes : Portugal 6 / Croatia 12
Cartons jaunes : Portugal 1 / Croatia 2
Passes : Portugal 577 / Croatia 366
Precision des passes : Portugal 91% / Croatia 85%
xG : Portugal 2.18 / Croatia 1.32

Joueurs clés

Ivan Perišić (Croatia) : note 7.9, 1 but(s), 1 carton(s) jaune(s)
Gonçalo Ramos (Portugal) : note 7.9, 1 but(s)
Diogo Costa (Portugal) : note 7.7, 5 arret(s)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) : note 7.2, 1 but(s)
Rafael Leão (Portugal) : note 6.5, 1 passe(s) decisive(s)

Round of 32 schedule

View full schedule

World Cup 2026: Portugal eliminate Croatia 2-1 in round of 32 as Ronaldo and Ramos score

SUMMARY

Portugal solid around the Ronaldo-Leão duo and an organised defence

A battling Croatia fall short against Portugal’s solidity

Comments