Goodbye for now, Croatia; Portugal to face Spain in the Round of 16

Xtratime Web Desk

One football icon had to bow out—and it turned out to be Luka Modric. Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 in a dramatic FIFA World Cup clash to book their place in the Round of 16, with substitute Goncalo Ramos scoring a dramatic stoppage-time winner.

For Croatia, it was a heartbreaking end to another memorable World Cup campaign. The 2018 runners-up and 2022 semifinalists fought brilliantly throughout the contest but ultimately fell short as Portugal seized their moments when it mattered most.

Football often comes down to fine margins, and luck can play a decisive role. Croatia experienced that harsh reality. Portugal were awarded a penalty that proved crucial, while one of Croatia's goals was ruled out following a controversial offside decision. Although the late stoppage-time strike by Mario Pasalic was correctly disallowed for offside after a VAR review, an earlier disallowed Croatian goal sparked debate and added to the growing list of controversial VAR decisions seen during the tournament.

Croatia also paid the price for failing to convert several clear-cut chances. Despite dominating large spells of the game and arguably producing the better overall performance, they were unable to capitalize, allowing Portugal to stay alive before delivering the decisive blow.

Croatia took the lead in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perisic headed home from Josip Stanisic's pinpoint cross. Portugal found their equaliser in the 68th minute after Cristiano Ronaldo calmly converted a penalty. The goal marked the Portuguese captain's first-ever strike in the knockout stage of a FIFA World Cup.

Just when extra time appeared inevitable, Portugal struck the winner in stoppage time. Rafael Leao delivered a superb cross into the box, where substitute Goncalo Ramos powered home a brilliant header to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory and send Portugal into the last 16.

Croatia thought they had forced extra time when Mario Pasalic found the net in the dying moments, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside. The decision triggered angry reactions from Croatian supporters inside the stadium, although the review ultimately confirmed the correct call.

Despite the defeat, Ivan Perisic's tireless performance stood out as one of Croatia's brightest moments on an emotional night.

Portugal will now face Spain in the Round of 16 on Monday in what promises to be one of the tournament's biggest knockout clashes.