Cristiano Ronaldo ended his long wait for a goal in a World Cup knockout match as Portugal secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in Toronto on Thursday, keeping the veteran's dream of winning the tournament alive.
Ronaldo Makes History in Knockout Stage
The 41-year-old forward, playing in his 26th World Cup appearance—second only to Lionel Messi—canceled out Ivan Perisic's opener with a penalty in the 75th minute. It marked his first ever goal in a knockout phase of the competition, a milestone that had eluded him throughout his illustrious career.
Portugal had started brightly, laying siege to the Croatian goal in the opening 10 minutes with a series of dangerous crosses aimed at Ronaldo. However, the veteran ended the first half without a single touch in the Croatia penalty area, often dropping deep in an attempt to influence play.
Perisic Strikes First
Croatia took the lead through Ivan Perisic, who rifled a low strike beyond goalkeeper Diogo Costa after a cross fell perfectly to him at the back of the penalty area. An offside flag denied Croatia an instant second, while Portugal's Rafael Leao rattled the crossbar to briefly raise hopes.
Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for offside by a shoulder on the hour mark, but minutes later he was offered a chance to make history from the penalty spot. Despite no longer being the god-like player he once was, he confidently slotted the ball home.
Ramos Seals Dramatic Win
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez made the bold call to substitute Ronaldo in the 81st minute, shortly after Petar Sucic had a goal ruled out for offside. Ronaldo was playing cheerleader when Goncalo Ramos scored a stunning bullet header in second-half stoppage time to clinch Portugal's place in the last 16.
The celebration was cut short when Josko Gvardiol appeared to have equalized in the 13th minute of added time, but the goal was ruled offside following a VAR check, letting Portugal and Ronaldo off the hook.
Retirement Bombshell
Prior to the match, Ronaldo's sister Katia Aveiro all but confirmed this would be the icon's final World Cup, dropping a bombshell that retirement from international football is imminent. Given Ronaldo's age and waning powers, the speculation had been rife, but her words still felt seismic.
Had it not been for Ramos' intervention, the defeat could have marked the end of Ronaldo's World Cup journey. Instead, his dream of conquering the world with Portugal remains alive, at least for now.
