Portugal advanced to the World Cup Round of 16 with a dramatic 2-1 win over Croatia, thanks to substitute Gonçalo Ramos’ stoppage-time goal, but Croatia had a late equalizer disallowed for offside after Josko Gvardiol’s goal, leaving the team stunned and fans hurling rubbish onto the pitch. Cristiano Ronaldo. Playing in his likely final World Cup appearance, scored his first knockout-stage goal at age 37, making him the oldest player to do so in World Cup history.

VAR Disallows Croatia’s Equalizer

Croatia had one last chance in the 13th minute of stoppage time — a deep cross into the box found Mario Pasalic, who played the ball to Josko Gvardiol, who put it into the net. However, the goal was nullified by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) due to offside. The decision came after the ball was tracked by the chip embedded in the official match ball, which showed that Igor Matanović had touched the ball before it reached Pasalic, who was in an offside position. This technical detail led to the disallowance, much to Croatia’s dismay.

Ronaldo’s Emotional Exit

In his likely final World Cup match, Ronaldo was unable to secure a title for Portugal as Spain defeated them 1-0 in Dallas, while Mikel Merino’s goal in the first minute of stoppage time sealed the win for Spain, marking their first World Cup quarterfinal appearance since 2010. Ronaldo, visibly upset, appeared reluctant to leave the field after the match and faced a bitter end to his World Cup journey. He had previously scored a penalty to equalize against Croatia, but Spain’s late goal denied Portugal a place in the next round.

Spain’s captain and midfielder Rodri praised the team’s effort after the match, stating, “We have given our best and generally played well. We took our chance with a late goal and made the difference. Now we have to look ahead.” Portugal’s coach Roberto Martinez expressed pride in his team’s performance, though the loss marked the end of Portugal’s World Cup campaign.

VAR and Emotional Fallout

Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic criticized the VAR decision, noting how it dampened the emotional experience of the match. “It kills the emotions,” he said. Dalic acknowledged that VAR can be helpful in certain situations but argued that its use in this moment was overly technical and removed the human element from the game. Portuguese coach Roberto Martinez, on the other hand, defended the use of VAR, citing the clarity provided by the ball’s embedded chip. “It is clear why the VAR was used,” he said.

Portugal’s team also paid tribute to the late Diogo Jota, who was killed in a car accident a year ago, by holding up his number 21 shirt at the end of the match against Croatia. Ronaldo’s international career will likely continue, though his future with the national team remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Spain advances to face the winner of the USA-Belgium match in the quarterfinals.