FT after 90 19' As Portugal march ahead into the Round of 16 with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Croatia. Cristiano Ronaldo and Goncalo Ramos scored the two goals after Ivan Persisic's opener but the game will be remember for two VAR calls that went in Portugal's favour. 

The VAR check is complete and the goal has been chalked off What is happening there? Croatian hearts are broken again, it remains 2-1 for Portugal. No goal for Croatia due to an offside in the build-up play.

GOOOAAAALLLLL Drama, absolute drama as Croatia score the equaliser on potentially the last kick of the game. The hope is not lost and we'll need to head into the stoppage time. VAR check being done. 

90 9' Croatia pushing for the equaliser, but Portugal aren't willing to take any risks at the moment. This is going to be a great come-from-behind victory for Portugal. Just a minute left.

90 4' GOOAAAALLLLL Drama, absolute drama in the middle as the super-sub, Goncalo Ramos, does it again. He has given Portugal a 2-1 lead, with just minutes to go before the full-time whistle is blown. He may have put Portugal in the Round of 16 with a brilliant header.

90' A total of 10 minutes of stoppage time has been added, that's enough for anyone to become a hero. But, are we going to see another game headed into the extra-time?

89' Mario Pasalic reacts sharply to meet a lofted cross right on the edge of the six-yard box, but fails to test the keeper, sending a weak header well wide of the right post. That should've been converted, there isn't much time left before the regulation time comes to an end. 

87' Renato Veiga finds plenty of space inside the box to meet the cross, but his towering header flies well wide of the left post. It is a brilliant opportunity completely wasted by the Portuguese defender.

83' Absolute drama there and Ronaldo doesn't look pleased as he gets replaced by manager Roberto Martinez. Ruben Neves replaces him for Portugal. 

81' Is that 2-1? No, the offside flag is up again and Croatia's celebrations are cut short. VAR check is done and Petar Sucic's goal is chalked off. What is happening there, Cristiano Ronaldo has bee subbed off by Roberto Martinez

79' A sense of belief and renewed confidence can be seen in the Croatian side. It seems like the VAR decision to award Portugal a penalty has hurt them emotionally. Luka Modric's men are pushing, while Ronaldo is asking his teammates to gain more control and cool down a little bit. He isn't happy with this tempo. 

76' Mateo Kovacic showcases brilliant individual technique to weave his way to the edge of the penalty area. He unleashes a powerful strike, but is denied by the woodwork as the ball rattles against the right post. It was a spectacular solo run, but a cruel piece of misfortune at the finish. It's a corner for Croatia but no damage done!

73' Play resumes after the hydration break. Croatia have made another change, with Mario Pasalic coming in, replacing Martin Baturina. Remember, this is Ronaldo's first goal in the FIFA World Cup knockouts. He needed some assistance, for sure. 

67' It's Cristiano Ronaldo who puts the ball on the mark in the penalty box. It hasn't been his sort of game or his sort of tournament so far but he still knows how to score these spot-kicks. It's 1-1 for Portugal and it's the man with the No. 7 on his back. Portugal are back in the game!

66' Renato Veiga goes down in the penalty box during a corner kick. No immediate reaction from the referee, but it is reviewed for a possible penalty. The referee walks up to the TV screen after a VAR intervention. It's a boost for Portugal as a penalty has been awarded. Wow, what a turnaround. 

62' Cristiano Ronaldo controls the ball brilliantly and puts it past the Croatian goalkeeper. But the offside flag goes up, cutting the celebrations short. VAR check would be needed here for sure. The check is over, and it's offside. Wow, that was a brilliant control and finish from Ronaldo, but he was marginally offside.

Roberto Martinez, the Portugal manager, is bringing 4 players on at once.  

58' Do Croatia have a second goal? The offside flag from the linesman says no. But, Ronaldo's men are now forced to push harder in search of the equaliser, leaving them vulnerable at the back. Portugal, on the counter, hit the post through Rafael Leao. So close to an equaliser but it's still 1-0.

GOOAAAALLLLL! Wow, who saw that coming? It's Ivan Perisic who scores the opener for Croatia, breaking Portugal hearts. Amid the talk of the veterans in the World Cup, one shouldn't forget him, the treble winner with Bayern Munich. Stanisic's brilliant cross from the right flank finds Perisic unmarked. He doesn't miss from the penalty box. 1-0 for Croatia. 

49' Mateo Kovacic, with a brilliant run, picks up the loose ball after a messy passing play from Croatia in the penalty box. There was a bit of Lionel Messi there, but Kovacic could only find the side netting. It's a corner for Croatia. They opt to go short. 

46' Ante Budimir of Croatia is replaced by the tall Igor Matanovic. That's the only change we have at the start of the second half. Rafael Leao looks to set up Portugal in the penalty box but his pass is cut off. 

It's been quite ordinary for Portugal in the penalty box. There have been some brilliant passes and crosses into the box, but not a lot has changed from what we saw from them in the group stage. Would fresh legs early do the trick?

45 4' That's that from the first half. Portugal would feel they had a few opportunities to open the scoring but they failed. Croatia need to do a lot more if they are win the contest. Defensively, they would be pretty satisfied with the game so far. In the attack, however, there's a lot more that needs to be done. 

45 4' That's that from the first half. Portugal would feel they had a few opportunities to open the scoring but they failed. Croatia need to do a lot more if they are win the contest. Defensively, they would be pretty satisfied with the game so far. In the attack, however, there's a lot more that needs to be done. 

45' Nuno Mendes complains to the referee about a foul by Petar Sucic, but no attention give. Four minutes of stoppage time added. 

42' A good-looking counterattack by Croatia falls just short as Portugal's defence recovers the ball just outside its penalty box. Portugal fails to launch a counterattack, with Ronaldo getting surrounded by Croatian players. He has no option but to pass the ball back. The attack fades away in the next few seconds. 

41' Portugal with the 5th corner of the first half, and it's Bruno Fernandes who takes it again. The ball is deflected for another corner, this time on the opposite side of the pitch. It's a short one this time but the result is still the same. Portugal still working to get their opening goal.

37' Mateo Kovacic looks to orchestrate something special in the middle for Croatia, but his final ball lets him down. The pass is cut off by the Portuguese defence. Portugal has 58% possession control so far, but they haven't made it count the way they would've ideally desired. 

33' Bruno Fernandes whips a dangerous pass into the penalty box, but the alert Croatian defence reacts quickly to clear the danger. The ball goes out of play, and the referee points to the flag, awarding a corner to Portugal. The corner, however, is a poor one, it fails to create a real chance for Portugal. 

31' Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo with an absolute mess in the penalty box. Joao Cancelo put a brilliant ball in from the right flank, but neither Ronaldo nor Fernandes managed to connect with it. The Portuguese duo in the box were only found wrestling with the Croatian defence. Ronaldo is still far away from his first World Cup knockout goal. 

28' Croatia launch a threatening attack right after the hydration break. Martin Baturina smashes the ball from just outside the box, but his attempt is blocked by a defender. Croatia looking to change the momentum in the post-hydration-break phase of the first half but Portugal are alert. 

24' A brilliant ball in from the left flank by Nuno Mendes. Pedro Neto looked to have been his target, but a Croatian defender reached the ball just in time and put it out for a corner. That was another threatening piece of attack by Portugal, but Croatia were alert. Hydration break taken!

20' First real chance for Croatia to put the ball in Portugal's box, but Luka Modric's free-kick gets cleared efficiently by the Portugal defence. Portugal have been in control of the ball and possession in Toronto. The game seems theirs to lose. Croatia still trying to find their feet. 

17' Renato Veiga, how did he miss that? A brilliant ball from the corner, and it's the Portuguese centre-back who connected the ball rather cleanly. The shot, however, goes over the crossbar. Another big opportunity for Portugal that isn't converted. Is that going to haunt them?

Ruben Dias, meanwhile, has been booked for a rash challenge. 

13' Mateo Kovacic lunges in with a heavy challenge, prompting referee Espen Eskas to blow his whistle for a Croatia foul. Portugal earn a free kick in a dangerous position, setting up an excellent opportunity for a direct strike on goal. But, Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick hits the wall. No damage done!

9' Pedro Neto with a brilliant cross, right on top of Cristiano Ronaldo's head. But it turns out to be a complete miss. Ronaldo, the defenders, and the goalkeeper all miss the ball. It turns out to be a goal-kick. Everyone is in shock that Ronaldo didn't connect with that cross. It could've been a goal. 

5' Early drama in the match. On the counter, Rafael Leao finds Bruno Fernandes with a brilliant cross but the Manchester United man's shot is saved by the goalkeeper. He tries another one on the rebound but the shot gets blocked. That was a big opportunity for Portugal to pull ahead. This could come back to haunt Bruno and Portugal. 

3' A careful approach from both teams at the start, no rush from either side. Ivan Perisic finds a threatening Vlasic on the left flank, and then comes a low cross, which Ante Budimir fails to convert. Croatia with the first chance of the match and the first shot on target.

The handshakes have happened, the substitutes are off the pitch. Cristiano Ronaldo makes his 232nd Portugal appearance at the very stadium where he scored his first goal in a Real Madrid shirt. This could be a historic night for him for many reasons. We are underway in Toronto!

Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric's teams are out of the tunnel. The flags have been laid, the national anthems are awaited in this high-profile fixture at the FIFA World Cup. Portugal haven't had the best of campaigns so far, nor have Croatia. But, it's the knockouts where destinies are forged. We are only minutes away from the start. Stay tuned!

Luka Modric, a Real Madrid legend, who plays for AC Milan in Italy at present, is also in the twilight of his career, at the age of 40. He would be keen to break his duck against Portugal, having not won a single game against them with Croatia in his career so far. In four head-to-head meetings, Modric's Croatia have suffered four defeats.

It all started with a 1-0 loss in a 2013 friendly, followed by a heartbreaking 1-0 extra-time defeat at Euro 2016, and then a close 3–2 defeat in the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League. Croatia's most recent defeat against Portugal came in a 2-1 loss during the 2024-25 Nations League campaign. Will the tables turn today?

Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the all-time leading goalscorer in international football with 145, is yet to score a single goal in the FIFA World Cup knockouts. It might be his 6th World Cup, but Ronaldo hasn't scored in the knockout stages of the competition yet. With his international retirement loading after the World Cup, this might be the time to change things around. 

Meanwhile, Spain, who are set to face the winner of the Portugal vs Croatia match next, have seen their goalkeeper Unai Simon script a World Cup Record after the team's 3-0 win over Austria in the Round of 32. 

New record: Longest football (soccer) FIFA World Cup clean sheet

The longest time played in World Cup finals matches by a goalkeeper without conceding a goal is 519 minutes by Spain's Unai Simón

— Guinness World Records (@GWR) July 2, 2026

With both Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric expected to call time on their international careers after the World Cup, the Portugal vs Croatia clash offers fans the final opportunity to see two of the best craftsmen, who were also teammates at Real Madrid, battle it out for glory. Portugal might be seen as slight favourites, but Croatia have what it takes to bring down even the toughest of opponents. 

According to Spain's Marca newspaper, Cristiano Ronaldo will retire from international football after the FIFA World Cup. The development was confirmed by Ronaldo's sister Katia Aveiro ahead of the clash against Croatia.

Somos milhoes, #VaiDarPortugal | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/sQc9kVSoSf

— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) July 2, 2026

PORTUGAL vs CROATIA

Starting XI's confirmed! pic.twitter.com/B355h3GbH9

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) July 2, 2026

Roberto Martinez said Diogo Jota's memory continues to inspire the entire team. Today marks the first anniversary of Jota and his brother Andre Silva's deaths in a car accident.

"I think we need to honor Diogo Jota," Martinez said after Portugal's goalless draw against Colombia on Saturday.

"I think it's a moment to cherish that everything we started in this team started with him. We won the Nations League with him. He's probably the sign and the light of the biggest stimulation that we have. We want to win the World Cup for him."

While Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to start for Portugal, journalists and fans have voted to bench him from the starting XI, choosing instead to give a start to Goncalo Ramos, as per a report in A Bola. It remains to be seen if Roberto Martinez decides to alter the line-up.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez reserved blockbuster praise for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, two of the oldest outfield players at this World Cup at 41 years of age. The two shared dressing room at Real Madrid between 2012 and 2018, winning four UCL titles.

"Age is just a number. What matters is what they do and the importance they have as an example in the dressing room. Modric is an example for millions of athletes and new generations of footballers," he said.

Portugal midfielder Vitinha was full of praise for Luka Modric, calling him a "great reference for all football players."

"It's a pleasure to play against him and hopefully tomorrow he'll be a little bit sadder than me," Vitinha said.

"We have to stop a team tomorrow, and hopefully that will be the team of Luka Modric."

Cristiano Ronaldo has 10 goals at the World Cup so far, having made his debut in Germany 2006. However, he has never scored a knockout goal at the world's biggest stage. Can he break that drought tonight as Portugal eye a birth in the Round of 16. 

Hello and welcome to NDTV Sports. We join you live for ongoing coverage of the thrilling FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 clash between Portugal and Croatia in Toronto. A coveted place in the pre-quarterfinals beckons for these two European powerhouses-let's see who edges closer to the dream.