World Cup: Ronaldo consoles Modric as Portugal edge out Croatia in late VAR drama

Cristiano Ronaldo hugged a tearful Luka Modric after Portugal ended Croatia’s World Cup campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory in the round of 16 on Thursday. Moments after a lengthy VAR review denied Croatia an equalizer in stoppage time, Ronaldo crossed to console his former Real Madrid team-mate as Modric acknowledged the traveling fans in what could turn out to be his final World Cup appearance.

“I played for many years with Modric. It’s great to see him still playing at the highest level,” Ronaldo said after the match. “I told him, ‘Congratulations, Luke. Good luck with your future career.’

The emotional scenes followed a dramatic finish in Toronto, where substitute Goncalo Ramos headed home Rafael Lea’s cross in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Portugal advanced to the round of 16.

Croatia believed they had forced extra time when Josko Gvardiol found the net deep in stoppage time, but VAR ruled out the goal after Mario Pasalic was adjudged offside when Igor Matanovic lobbed the ball.

Portugal will now face Spain in the round of 16 after the European champions beat Austria 3-0 on Thursday.

Croatia took the lead in the 53rd minute through Ivan Perisic, who finished after Josip Stanišić’s cross was saved by Ruben Dias. Perisic moved past Davor Suker as Croatia’s top scorer in World Cup history with the goal.

Portugal dominated possession for long periods but struggled to find a breakthrough until VAR awarded a penalty for Nikola Vlasic’s foul on Renato Veiga. Ronaldo stepped up in the 68th minute and calmly converted, becoming the oldest player to score in a Men’s World Cup knockout match at the age of 41. It was also the first knockout stage goal of his World Cup career.

Roberto Martinez introduced Ramos midway through the second half and the striker had a decisive impact. He rose above the Croatian defense to send Lea’s cross past Dominik Livakovic on the break to give Portugal the lead.

Croatia were desperate for one last chance and thought they had found it when Guardiol turned the ball over in the 103rd minute. Celebrations were cut short after an extended VAR review revealed an offside violation in the play-off, confirming Portugal’s place in the last 16.

The result ended Croatia’s campaign in heartbreaking fashion. As the players sank to the pitch at the final whistle, Modric stood in front of the Croatian fans and applauded them through tears before Ronaldo crossed the pitch to hug and offer a few quiet words to his long-time friend, bringing an emotional end to one of the defining careers in World Cup history.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

03 Jul 2026 08:18 IST