Cristiano Ronaldo, Goncalo Ramos Inspire Portugal's Dramatic Comeback To Reach FIFA WC Round Of 16

Last Updated:July 03, 2026, 06:40 IST

Portugal survived a dramatic late VAR scare to beat Croatia 2-1 after Goncalo Ramos' stoppage-time winner, booking a place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16.

Just when it seemed this Round of 32 tie had exhausted every ounce of drama it could offer, football found one final twist.

Goncalo Ramos’ towering stoppage-time header looked to have sent Portugal into the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, only for Croatia to seemingly snatch an equaliser moments later through Josko Gvardiol.

But after a tense VAR review ruled the defender offside, Portugal escaped with a pulsating 2-1 victory in Toronto on Thursday.

It was a contest that swung wildly from end to end, where Croatia looked destined for a famous upset before Portugal’s persistence and a slice of late fortune carried Roberto Martinez’s men into the next round.

It was cruel on Croatia, who had defended with discipline for long spells and looked moments away from another shot at knockout survival.

Instead, Martinez’s master gamble paid off in the most dramatic fashion.

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Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His...Read More

News sports football Cristiano Ronaldo, Goncalo Ramos Inspire Portugal's Dramatic Comeback To Reach FIFA WC Round Of 16

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