Portugal staged a dramatic 2-1 comeback against Croatia in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Thursday, securing their place in the Round of 16. The victory, sealed with a 94th-minute header by Goncalo Ramos, sets up a pre-quarterfinal clash with Spain, who earlier defeated Austria 3-0. Switzerland also advanced with a 2-0 win over Algeria.
Ronaldo's Historic Knockout Goal
Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty in the 81st minute to equalize for Portugal, marking his first-ever goal in the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup. At 41 years and 147 days, he became the oldest goalscorer in World Cup knockout history, according to ESPN. The penalty was Ronaldo's only touch inside Croatia's penalty area during his 81 minutes on the pitch, highlighting his clinical efficiency. He also became the first player to feature in a World Cup knockout match at age 41 or older.
The match featured three players with more than 20 World Cup appearances: Cristiano Ronaldo (26), Luka Modric (23), and Ivan Perisic (21). Ronaldo's penalty was his fourth in World Cups, trailing only Harry Kane (5) in history.
Portugal's Comeback and Controversy
Portugal equalized through Ronaldo's penalty after a handball in the box. With extra time looming, Joao Leao crossed to Ramos, who powered a header home in the 94th minute. Deep into added time, Josko Gvardiol thought he had equalized, but a lengthy VAR check found Igor Matanovic offside in the build-up, disallowing the goal. Portugal remained unbeaten against Croatia in competitive matches.
Spain's Dominant Display
Spain produced their most commanding performance of the tournament, beating Austria 3-0 at SoFi Stadium. This victory ended Spain's drought of not winning a World Cup knockout match in regular or extra time since July 11, 2010. Lamine Yamal, at 18 years old, became the youngest player since 1966 to record 10+ touches inside the opposition box (14) and 10+ successful dribbles (10) in a World Cup match. Spain have won all eight matches in which Yamal has started in major tournaments, a perfect record for any European player in World Cup or European Championship history.
Mikel Oyarzabal scored two or more goals in two different matches of the same World Cup edition, a first for a Spanish player.
Switzerland's Clinical Performance
Switzerland secured a 2-0 victory over Algeria, with Breel Embolo scoring in the 10th minute—Switzerland's second-earliest knockout goal since 1934. Johan Manzambi became the only Swiss player in 60 years to be directly involved in five goals (three goals, two assists) in a single World Cup. Algeria extended their winless streak against UEFA opposition to 10 matches, with their last such win coming against Germany in 1982.
