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SATURDAY • 4th JULY 2026

Portugal survive late drama VAR rules out 103rd-minute equaliser by Croatia as CR7 becomes oldest player to score in WC knockout match

C RISTIANO RONALDO scored the first World Cup knockout stage goal of his career, Goncalo Ramos netted a stop page-time header and Portugal got a last-second break on an offside call to beat Croatia 2-1 yesterday and set up a last-16 clash with Spain. Croatia looked to have equalised at the end, leaving Ronaldo crestfallen on the bench, but the last-gasp effort was ruled offside after a video assistant referee review, prompting the team’s supporters in the south end of Toronto Stadium to shower the pitch with debris. “It’s difficult because it’s a game if you don’t win, you go home,” said Ramos. “But for me, especially, I love those types of moments, I love those types of games, I want to play every game like that, I want to be in the big moment.” It was Josko Gvardiol who thought he had equalised for Croatia in the 103rd minute but a review showed the ball had touched Igor Matanovic on the way through, which made Gvardiol offside. “We didn’t deserve this sort of finish,” said Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic. “It’s never easy when you concede a goal in the last min utes of the match but we should have resolved this differently.” Ronaldo, 41, became the

Josip Stanisic and coolly fired home at the far post in the 53rd minute as the game opened up considerably with incredible back-and-forth action. Portugal dominated possession in the first half but struggled to convert their chances on a night when a breeze off Lake Ontario offered reprieve from the sweltering heat that blanketed the city for much of the day. Ronaldo, booed heavily by

Croatia supporters every time he touched the ball, failed to get his head on an early Pedro Neto cross and then he and Bruno Fernandes were

unable to take advantage of a deep cross from Joao Cancelo. Croatia,

Portugal’s Joao Neves (left) shakes hands with Croatia’s Mateo Kovacic after the World Cup Round of 32 match at the Toronto Stadium in Canada yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

World Cup runners-up

pulled down in the area by Vlasic. Portugal took to the pitch with heavy hearts as the match was played a day before the one-year anniversary of the death of their forward Diogo Jota in a car crash. An image of Jota in his No. 21 shirt was shown on video boards at Toronto Stadium after the playing of Portugal’s national anthem. Portuguese supporters then gave a standing ovation in honour of Jota in the 21st minute. After the game an emotional Ronaldo put on Jota’s red No. 21 shirt while fighting back tears. “We won for us, Diogo and Portugal. Let’s Go,” Ronaldo posted on his official Instagram account. Portugal’s Martinez also spoke about Jota. “Several beautiful symbols of power and energy and what Jota meant for the team,” the coach said. “He was someone who believed, and we have responsibility for Diogo and we are going to keep doing this.” – Reuters

in 2018 and third in 2022, came roaring out of the restart and had Portugal on the back foot as Mateo Kovacic picked up a loose ball and went through the defenders but his shot hit the side of the net not long before they opened the scoring. Nikola Vlasic thought he had stormed back down the field where Rafael Leao drilled a shot from outside the area that slammed off the crossbar. Ronaldo nearly scored when he coolly flicked the ball over the goal keeper Dominik Livakovic and into the net but was ruled offside. The Portugal captain finally got his moment in the 68th minute when he fired a penalty straight down the mid dle of the goal after Renato Veiga was Croatia’s second but was ruled offside after poking the ball in before Portugal

oldest player to score in the knockout stage of a World Cup when he fired home from the spot to draw Portugal level in the 68th minute of a pulsating game before substitute

Ramos rose above the Croatia defend ers in the fourth minute of stoppage time. The goal for Ronaldo, who was taken out of the game by coach Roberto Martinez in the 81st minute, was his first in a World Cup knockout game. Ivan Perisic had put Croatia in front when he brought down a pass from

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) celebrates after scoring the first goal while Goncalo Ramos netted the winner for Portugal against Croatia yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

p 27 Mexican standoff

p 28 Patience is

p 30 Are you watching, Portugal?

key: Barcola

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