Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their first objective with teammates in Fifa World Cup 2026 Spherical of 32 match towards Croatia at Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada, July 2, 2026. — Reuters Goncalo Ramos scored stoppage-time winner with decisive header.Spain dominate Austria, permitting no photographs on track all through match.Ronaldo scores on penalty, turns into oldest scorer in World Cup knockout.
Portugal and Spain booked their locations within the Fifa World Cup final 16 with contrasting victories on Thursday, as Cristiano Ronaldo’s facet survived late VAR drama to edge Croatia 2-1 whereas the European champions cruised to a commanding 3-0 win over Austria.
In one other nerve-shredding World Cup traditional, Goncalo Ramos headed Portugal into the lead within the fourth minute of stoppage time earlier than Croatia noticed a last-gasp equaliser agonisingly dominated out for offside in Toronto.
Portugal’s 41-year-old celebrity captain Cristiano Ronaldo had helped haul his workforce again into the competition, burying a 68th-minute penalty to cancel out Croatia’s 53rd-minute opener from Ivan Perisic. Ronaldo turned the oldest scorer in a World Cup knockout match.
Ronaldo later joined frenzied celebrations after Ramos glanced residence a sensational header deep into damage time to provide Portugal the lead.
However Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates have been left surprised when Josko Gvardiol prodded residence an obvious equaliser in stoppage time.
But there was one ultimate twist when the objective was chalked off for offside after a prolonged VAR evaluate to the disbelief of Croatia’s gamers and their giant contingent of followers at Toronto’s BMO Discipline.
After the ultimate whistle, an emotional Ronaldo held up and pulled on a Portugal shirt bearing the quantity 21, a tribute to late team-mate Diogo Jota, the Liverpool star who tragically died in a automobile crash virtually a yr to the day from Thursday’s win, on July 3 final yr.
“We knew it before the game. It was a so special moment. We speak today, our group, about that, the coincidence of life, it’s unbelievable,” Ronaldo stated afterwards of the tribute to Jota.
“I was amazed because the situation of today. It means a lot to us, not only because we won the game, but also the way we won the game. It was a difficult game, we knew it.”
The outcome ensures that Ronaldo’s unimaginable World Cup profession will probably be prolonged for at the least yet one more match when the Portuguese face Iberian rivals Spain within the final 16 in Dallas on Monday.
Ronaldo’s second-half penalty made him the oldest man to attain in a World Cup knockout match.
Spain romp previous Austria
Spain had superior to that assembly with a scintillating 3-0 win over Austria in Los Angeles earlier Friday that confirmed their standing as one of many favourites for the title.
Two objectives from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header sealed victory for the Spaniards, who produced their most full efficiency of the event to advance to the subsequent spherical.
Spain opened their World Cup marketing campaign with a faltering 0-0 draw towards Cape Verde, however have subsequently constructed momentum with every match.
Spain gamers rejoice scoring their second objective in Fifa World Cup 2026 Spherical of 32 match towards Austria at Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California, US, July 2, 2026. — Reuters
With Spanish film stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem within the 70,492 crowd at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, Spain have been at all times in management towards a restricted Austrian facet who did not register a shot on objective.
Oyarzabal fired Spain into the lead within the thirty sixth minute, sweeping in a low end to crown a slick passing transfer, and extra deft inter-play arrange Porro to go residence the second within the 66th minute.
Actual Sociedad striker Oyarzabal grabbed his second as he coolly tucked away a low end from Marc Cucurella’s pinpoint cross.
“We played a magnificent match. I am happy because, in every aspect, we came close to perfection,” stated Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.
“Every match from now on will be more complicated. Every match will be a bit more demanding. We are moving into a more critical phase” of the World Cup, he added.
De la Fuente stated his Spain facet can nonetheless get higher “in every area.”
“That is our spirit — the belief that we haven’t hit our ceiling yet. We need to improve naturally. We are ambitious,” he stated.
