Goncalo Ramos headed in the stoppage-time winner as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in a wild finish that also included a Croatian goal disallowed for offside just before the final whistle in a World Cup round of 32 match on Thursday night.
The game featured a matchup 40-somethings Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, in his sixth World Cup, and Croatia’s Luka Modrić, making his fifth bid for a tournament title.
Ronaldo initially tied things up in the 68th minute on a penalty kick and give the megastar his first knockout stage goal at the World Cup before being subbed out in the 81st minute. But, it was Ramos who gave Portugal the victory and a berth in the round of 16.
Portugal moves on to face Spain on Monday.
“First half we dominated the game. In second half after the goal we get a little bit panic, but this is football,” Ronaldo said. “After the penalty, I think it was a little bit better for us. We created a few chances and I think at the end of the day we deserved to win the match.”
The game ended in controversy as Croatia thought it had tied things up 2-2 in the very last moments, but Mario Pasalic was called offside as VAR ruled no goal. Croatia fans threw bottles on the field and whistled in protest.
Croatia opened the scoring in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perisic scored off a cross from Josip Sanisic.
Ronaldo, booed loudly by Croatia fans every time he touched the ball, got his chance from the spot after Nikola Vlasic was called for a holding foul inside the box. Portugal’s megastar hitched his step and converted down the middle as the goalkeeper went to his right.
Modrić led Croatia to second- and third-place finishes in 2018 and 2022, and the match carried the weight of the two aging stars each trying to realize the dream of winning the World Cup. Modrić is 40, while Ronaldo is 41.
The men, who were teammates at Real Madrid, shared a few smiles and an embrace ahead of the coin toss before the match. The two met on the pitch after the match, and hugged and exchanged a few words.
“I played with Luca so many years,” Ronaldo said. “We’re nearly the same age. I think he’s a legend of football. He’s still a legend of football.”
Thousands of diehard fans packed Toronto Stadium for the pivotal match despite a stifling heat wave.
“Oh, my God, I feel so relieved,” Portugal fan Marisa Cota said as the crowd around her on Dundas Street West celebrated. “The first part, we were feeling like, ‘Oh, what is this gonna end with? How is this gonna end?’ Well, the second part was really intense. A lot of intense moments.”
Vera Medeiros, who came with her family from London, Ont., to watch the game in Little Portugal, said she felt like she was having heart attacks during the game. But once it was over, there were “happy tears,” she said.
“It’s amazing, it feels amazing.”
The result keeps 41-year-old Ronaldo’s World Cup career alive and likely marks the end of Croatian star Luka Modric’s.
The two players were big draws for their teams’ fan bases in the Greater Toronto Area, which is home to vibrant and populous Portuguese and Croatian communities. Tens of thousands of fans also arrived from other parts of the province, country and the world.
Ronaldo in particular was a big attraction for soccer spectators since his team’s arrival in Toronto on Wednesday. Hundreds of fans crowded outside the team’s hotel and practice site, hoping to catch a glimpse of the global superstar.
Dante Doria travelled from London, Ont., to support Portugal, and with hopes that he and his friend could score last-minute tickets to the game.
“Growing up, Cristiano was my idol so watching him would be my dream come true,” he said outside the stadium before kickoff.
For Croatia fans, that idol is midfielder Modric, a celebrated World Cup veteran.
“He’s been there my whole life basically, so if this is his last game it’s going to be emotional,” Zoran Strbac said before the match.
One group of fans said they were relieved to finally be able to see Croatia play in Toronto, after they lost thousands of dollars in a ticket scam when they tried to attend the country’s previous match in the city against Panama.
Kara Ribaric, who came to Toronto two weeks ago from Croatia, and members of her family who live in Hamilton said they lost more than $13,000 in the scam. Thankfully, they got tickets for the Croatia-Portugal match “the right way,” said John Sulug from the same group.
The match outcome left Croatia supporters crestfallen, but one of them took it in stride.
“Today was not our day but we have to accept the reality,” said Maki Ararau, who travelled from Dubai to attend the match. “I wish (Portugal) very good luck.”
The match unfolded under a heat dome that has persisted in Toronto for days, with the humidity making it feel like 42 C at times.
The city cancelled match broadcasts at Nathan Phillips Square due to the extreme heat forecast and the amount of resources required to safely manage large crowds at all the FIFA events.
The FIFA Fan Festival remained open with heat relief measures including misting stations and drinking water trailers.
A paramedic spokesperson told CityNews there was a brief period leading up to the match kickoff where paramedics were not immediately available due to call volume.
“Patients continued to receive appropriate care in the field through the on-site medical centre, or other first responders, such as Toronto Fire Services,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “During periods of high demand, Paramedics are first directed to life-threatening calls.”
Toronto police confirmed they also received a lot of calls related to the heat but added there was no strain on their resources in the area.
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