Portugal 2-1 Croatia: Ronaldo finally scores a knockout goal, Gvardiol robbed at the death?

[Layla17]

What a match in Toronto. Croatia led through Perisic, Ronaldo equalised from the spot after Vlasic dragged Veiga down at a corner, and then Goncalo Ramos glanced in a Leao cross deep into stoppage time to win it 2-1. Twenty years after his World Cup debut, that penalty was somehow Ronaldo's first ever goal in the knockout stages of this tournament

But the story everyone is arguing about is the ending. Gvardiol bundled in what looked like a legitimate equaliser with practically the last kick of the game, and VAR ruled it out using the chip in the ball, the so called Snicko technology, which detected a faint touch from Matanovic that made Pasalic offside in the build up. Dalic was furious afterwards and said VAR kills the emotion of the game, and honestly it is hard to argue when a moment like that gets erased by a sensor reading

There were four goals ruled out for offside in total, including a Ronaldo effort that would have been a contender for goal of the tournament. Kovacic also hit the post twice in the same passage of play with Diogo Costa making two absurd saves. Croatia were arguably the better side for most of the second half and still went home

And that is surely it for Luka Modric at a World Cup. Forty years old, a runners up medal in 2018, third in 2022, and now out in the round of 32 on a technology call. Meanwhile Ronaldo got subbed off at 1-1 and looked disgusted about it, only for Martinez's change to win the game. Does he start against Spain on Monday or is it finally Ramos time?

World Cup 2026: Portugal 2-1 Croatia - Cristiano Ronaldo's dreams survive after late VAR drama forces Luka Modric farewellwww.skysports.com

[Inland Renegade]

The Gvardiol call was technically correct and emotionally criminal. Both things can be true

[CMPunk02]

If the technology says Matanovic touched it then he touched it. You cannot pick and choose when to trust the sensors

[StringTheory32]

You absolutely can question it when the margin is a touch so faint that no human on the pitch noticed it. That is not what offside was invented for

[PaleCipher]

Modric deserved a better ending than this. One of the greatest midfielders ever going out on a VAR review is grim

[Anchor34]

Ramos has to start against Spain. He is a proper nine and Ronaldo cannot press for 90 minutes anymore

[Lynx55]

Ronaldo scored the equaliser and you want to drop him? He delivers in these moments, that is literally his whole career

[PaleCipher]

He delivered one penalty. Kovacic ran the midfield and Croatia created the better chances, Portugal got away with one

[Dave96]

Diogo Costa was the real man of the match for me. That double save from Kovacic kept them alive

[EdgeRatedR86]

Anyone else notice Martinez actually got a big call right for once? Taking Ronaldo off won them the game

[Sharp Scholar]

Spain vs Portugal in the round of 16 is a final happening ten days early. Whoever wins that surely goes deep

[Ridge47]

Feel for Croatia but they only had themselves to blame. Vlasic wrestling Veiga to the ground at that corner was needless