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Portugal booked their place in the FIFA World Cup last 16 after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia on Friday, with Gonçalo Ramos scoring a stoppage-time winner before Croatia were denied a last-gasp equaliser following a VAR offside review.
Croatia struck first in the 53rd minute through Ivan Perišić, but Portugal responded 15 minutes later when Cristiano Ronaldo calmly converted a penalty to level the contest.
With extra time looming, Rafael Leão produced a brilliant cross for Ramos, who headed home in the fourth minute of stoppage time to put Portugal ahead.
The drama, however, was far from over. Croatia thought they had forced extra time in the 103rd minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside after VAR determined that Igor Matanović had made a decisive touch before the ball reached the scorer.
The decision sparked widespread debate, with replays making it difficult to determine whether Matanović had touched the ball. However, officials relied on Snicko technology, which indicated there had been contact, confirming the offside call.
Ronaldo, who was substituted in the 81st minute after scoring his record-extending World Cup goal, was visibly emotional after the final whistle as he joined his teammates in holding up Diogo Jota’s Portugal shirt in tribute before pointing to the sky.
The victory sends Portugal into a mouth-watering last-16 clash against European champions Spain on July 6 in Dallas. Spain reached the knockout stage earlier after a dominant 3-0 victory over Austria, setting up one of the biggest fixtures of the tournament so far.
