Portugal Defeats Croatia, Ending Modrić’s World Cup Hopes

In a thrilling match in Toronto, Portugal triumphed over Croatia with a 2-1 victory on Thursday. The win marked the end of Luka Modrić’s fifth World Cup campaign. Gonçalo Ramos became the hero of the game by heading in a pass from Rafael Leao during stoppage time.

Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo had equalized the score by converting a penalty kick in the 68th minute, which was his first knockout-stage goal at the World Cup. Ronaldo watched the final moments of the match from the bench as Ramos secured Portugal’s path to the win.

The match concluded in controversy. Croatia appeared to have leveled the score at 2-2, but the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review. This decision prompted a strong reaction from Croatia fans, who expressed their displeasure by throwing bottles onto the field and whistling.

Croatia had initially taken the lead in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perisic scored from a Josip Sanisic cross. However, Portugal’s resilience turned the tide of the match. Portugal is now set to face Spain in the Round of 16 on Monday.

Luka Modrić, who previously led Croatia to second- and third-place finishes in the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, was unable to mount a comeback in this World Cup.