Gonçalo Ramos was the hero for Portugal vs. Croatia in the Round of 32.
(Patrick Smith – FIFA via Getty Images)
With Cristiano Ronaldo off the field, Gonçalo Ramos sent Portugal to the World Cup Round of 16.
Ramos’ 94th-minute header off a cross from Rafael Leáo gave Portugal a 2-1 win over Croatia on Thursday night. Portugal will play Spain for a spot in the quarterfinals on Monday (3 p.m. ET, Fox) after Spain beat Austria.
Croatia found the back of the net with the tying goal from Joško Gvardiol in the 103rd minute. However, Mario Pašalić was offside when the ball barely grazed off the head of Igor Matanović. Pašalić then played the ball to Gvardiol after it hardly touched Matanović before going off the head of Portugal’s Renato Veiga.
The final seconds of the game were then briefly unable to be played after objects were thrown onto the field from fans in the stands.
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Not only was VAR used to determine that Matanović touched the ball, but all World Cup game balls are equipped with a sensor that can determine when the ball is touched.
Ramos entered the game as one of four subs introduced by coach Roberto Martinez an hour into the game. After sitting in a low block for much of the first half, Croatia took the game to Portugal to start the second half, and that resulted in a goal by Ivan Perišić to take the lead.
Ronaldo tied the game in the 68th minute after Renato Veiga won a penalty when he was tackled by Marin Pongračić in the penalty box off a corner. The foul wasn’t called on the field, but after a video review determined it was a penalty, there was no doubt as to who would take the penalty kick.
The goal was Ronaldo’s first in the knockout rounds in his sixth World Cup appearance and his 11th in the tournament. By starting Thursday night’s game, he became the oldest player to play in the World Cup’s knockout rounds.
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Thirteen minutes after the goal, Ronaldo, 41, was taken off the field for the first time all tournament. Ramos had come on as a second striker to pair with Ronaldo after Croatia took the lead. But even as Portugal had tied the game, Croatia continued to boss the midfield with players like Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes taken off the field at the hour mark.
Subbing off as a sub hardly ever happens in soccer. So Ronaldo made way for Ruben Neves as Portugal added a third player in the middle of the field.
Croatia won’t make a third straight semifinal
The game was likely to be the last major international appearance for two of the modern legends of soccer. As Ronaldo will get a chance to play Spain in a few days, Croatian captain Luka Modrić assuredly played his final World Cup game.
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Modrić, 40, had led the Croatians to back-to-back World Cup semifinal appearances ahead of the 2026 World Cup. In 2018, Croatia beat England in the semifinals to make the final before losing to France. In 2022, Croatia lost to Argentina in the semis before beating Morocco for third place.
A third consecutive final four appearance was a big ask. Croatia was drawn into Group L with England and brought a team with many familiar faces from those previous two runs. In addition to Modrić, players like Perisić, Mateo Kovacić, Ante Budimir and others are well into their 30s.
And if the run wasn’t going to end against Portugal, Croatia would have been a heavy underdog against Spain.
Portugal instead occupies that role as it searches for more goals from open play against teams who aren’t Uzbekistan.
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Minus Ronaldo’s spot kick, Ramos’ winner was just the second goal Portugal has scored in three games against Cape Verde, Colombia and Croatia. A team that boasts an incredible midfield has been frustrating in front of goal. And it’s fair to wonder just how much of that has to do with a team focused on feeding a striker in his fifth decade.
Ronaldo scored twice against the Uzbeks but was a non-factor otherwise in the group stage. He had a fantastic touch and finish in the second half Thursday night, but he was offside before the goal.
Portugal’s attack did look better with Leáo in the starting lineup for the first time all tournament. The AC Milan winger brought needed width and speed to the team and has earned the chance to start against Spain. Ronaldo, though, will again be the focus. And he’ll need to play much more like he did against Uzbekistan for Portugal to get to the quarterfinals.
