Gonçalo Ramos headed an injury-time winner as Portugal defeated Croatia to advance to the World Cup quarter-finals. The dramatic Round of 16 tie saw Roberto Martínez’s side come from behind after a cagey opening 45 minutes.
Ramos Decider Caps Turbulent Second Half
Croatia broke the deadlock shortly after the restart. Ivan Perišić, the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich winger playing at full-back, opened the scoring within ten minutes of the second half. Half-time substitute Igor Matanović made an immediate impact for Zlatko Dalić’s team, with the SC Freiburg striker adding fresh impetus to an attack that had struggled before the interval.
Portugal levelled from the penalty spot following VAR intervention at the other end. Cristiano Ronaldo, who had earlier seen a goal ruled out for offside, converted eight minutes after the hour mark. The 41-year-old captain secured the kick after Renato Veiga, formerly on loan at Augsburg, won contact in the area.
Video Technology Dominates Closing Stages
Both sides struck the woodwork during an increasingly open second period. Croatia believed they had retaken the lead when Luka Sučić found the net, only for video officials to disallow the effort. The decisive moment arrived in the fourth minute of added time, when Rafael Leão provided the cross for Ramos to head home powerfully.
The drama continued deep into stoppage time as Joško Gvardiol, previously of RB Leipzig, saw a 113th-minute strike ruled out by VAR. The decision sealed Croatia’s fate, eliminating them at the first knockout hurdle despite reaching the semi-finals in 2018 and 2022.
Line-ups and Looking Ahead
Martínez started with João Cancelo and Renato Veiga in defence, while Dalić handed a start to Bayern Munich’s Josip Stanišić. Luka Vusković, who is expected to join Brighton, began among the Croatian substitutes alongside Matanović.
The victory sets up a quarter-final meeting with Spain. The clash will pit two veteran captains against one another. Luka Modrić, aged 40, led Croatia while Ronaldo, 41, skippered Portugal. Ramos, who is reportedly attracting interest from AC Milan, proved the match-winner with his late intervention.