Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo revealed that the team aimed to honour their late teammate Diogo Jota 'in the best way' after securing a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 on Thursday (local time) in Toronto, Canada. The win sealed Portugal's qualification for the Round of 16.
First anniversary of Jota's passing
July 3 marks the first anniversary of Jota's death. The Portugal international and his brother Andre Silva lost their lives in a car crash in northwestern Spain in 2025 after their Lamborghini left the road and caught fire. The tragedy sent shockwaves across the football world, with clubs, teammates, supporters and football associations paying tribute following his untimely demise.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Ronaldo said, 'As I have said before, we wanted to honour him in the best way, that's what happened, because as you already know, it was just a year ago that he left us, and we wanted to win for him too, and he has been with us.' His comments were captured in a video posted by ESPN Netherlands.
Emotional on-field tribute
Ronaldo was visibly emotional after the final whistle. He paid an on-field tribute by holding up the No. 21 jersey in honour of the former Liverpool forward, while his teammates joined him in remembering Jota. Portugal also paid tribute before kickoff, with a photograph of the late striker displayed inside the stadium during the pre-match ceremonies.
Ronaldo shared an emotional message on social media after the match: 'We won for us, for Diogo, and for Portugal!!! LET'S GO!!!!' He posted the message on Instagram alongside a team photograph in which the Portugal squad posed with Jota's No. 21 jersey.
Match details
On the field, Portugal recovered from an early setback to register a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory. Substitute Goncalo Ramos emerged as the match-winner by heading home a stoppage-time goal, sending Roberto Martinez's side into the Round of 16. Croatia had taken the lead through Ivan Perisic, who became the country's all-time leading World Cup scorer, before Ronaldo equalised from the penalty spot after a VAR review. Croatia had two goals ruled out for offside, including a late equaliser deep into stoppage time, as Portugal held on.
Upcoming clash
Portugal will now face Spain in an all-Iberian Round of 16 clash. The victory ensured that Jota's memory was honoured in the most fitting manner, with Ronaldo and his teammates dedicating the win to their fallen comrade.
