Toronto, July 3: Goncalo Ramos scored a late winner as Portugal came from behind to beat Croatia 2-1 in a match decided only in stoppage time here at Toronto Stadium on Friday.

After Ivan Perisic gave Croatia the lead shortly after the break, Portugal responded with a penalty converted by Cristiano Ronaldo and Goncalo Ramos then rose highest to send a Rafael Leao cross home in the fourth minute of stoppage time to secure the win.

Ronaldo’s goal was first in the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup. At 41, he is the oldest player to net at that stage, outranking fellow Portugal icon Pepe.

Portugal took control of the match from the opening minutes, creating the best opportunities against Croatia. They came close to opening the scoring after just four minutes. Rafael Leao broke down the left and assisted Bruno Fernandes, whose first-time shot forced Dominik Livakovic into a superb save. On the rebound, the Croatian defense again prevented a Portuguese goal.

The national team continued to establish themselves in the final third and create danger, mainly through set pieces. Joao Cancelo tried to surprise from outside the area after a corner (7′), Ronaldo saw a direct free kick hit the wall (13′) and Renato Veiga headed over the bar following another corner (16′).

A few minutes later, Neves also wasted a good opportunity, appearing at the far post after another cross from Nuno Mendes, although his shot went over the bar.

On the other side, Croatia struggled to create dangerous situations near Diogo Costa’s goal. The most threatening chance came in the 10th minute, when Ante Budimir found himself unmarked in the box, but headed wide.

In the final minutes before halftime, Portugal intensified the pressure again. Bruno Fernandes stood out by creating a dangerous play down the left, forcing Livakovic into another save before winning a corner. Following that corner, Nuno Mendes shot, but his attempt was blocked by the Croatian defense.

The Portuguese team entered the second half with the same intention of controlling the match, but it was Croatia who created the first dangerous situations and ended up opening the scoring.

The Croatian goal came in the 53rd minute, following a cross from Josip Stanisic on the right. Ruben Dias tried to clear the danger, but the clearance ended up serving Ivan Perisic at the far post. Unmarked, the experienced Croatian left-footer positioned himself in front of goal and beat Diogo Costa, putting Croatia ahead.

Portugal responded immediately to the setback and came close to equalising in the 58th minute when Rafael Leão hit the crossbar. Shortly after, Cristiano Ronaldo put the ball in the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside.

Portugal’s persistence was finally rewarded in the 68th minute. After reviewing the images, the referee awarded a penalty for a foul by Nikola Vlasic on Renato Veiga. He stepped up to take the penalty and beat Dominik Livakovic from the spot, restoring parity.

After the equaliser, Croatia continued to create danger, but Portugal held firm, largely thanks to Diogo Costa, who denied goals to Kovacic and Matanovic.

The Portuguese response came at the decisive moment. In stoppage time, at 90+4 minutes, Rafael Leao delivered a perfect cross to Ramos, who appeared in the box to head the ball accurately.

There was still somehow time for further drama. A Hail Mary pass into the Portugal box fell to Mario Pasalic to square for Josko Gvardiol to tap home. After a VAR review, however, Pasalic was deemed to have been in an offside position.

Arlington, June 26: Daizen Maeda and Anthony Elanga traded quick-fire goals as a hard-fought 1-1 draw has taken Japan and Sweden through to the FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage.

Japan arrived at Dallas Stadium knowing a draw would secure a top-two finish, while Sweden needed all three points to leapfrog their opponents into second place.

Japan, who qualified as Group F runners-up, will now face Brazil in Houston on June 30, while Sweden must wait to see who they will take on as secure rpud of 32 spot as one of the eight best third-placed teams.

Daizen Maeda opened the scoring in the second half, putting the finishing touch on a flowing Japan move 11 minutes after the break. Sweden didn’t take that hit lying down, though, and hit back just six minutes later.

Anthony Elanga picked the ball up on the right wing, cut inside and curled a sumptuous left-footed effort into the corner. Graham Potter’s side came closest to winning it when Alexander Isak had a header tipped on to the bar by Zion Suzuki late on.

Japan soon began to assert control, dictating the tempo and forcing Graham Potter’s charges deep inside their own half. Daizen Maeda headed narrowly wide early on, before Yukinari Sugawara tested Jacob Zetterstrom for the first time.

Keito Nakamura went even closer to breaking the deadlock, but his cleverly disguised effort was brilliantly tipped around the post, reports FIFA.

Japan broke the deadlock ten minutes after the restart when Maeda latched on to a superb Ritsu Doan through ball and finished smartly into the corner. Their lead lasted just a few minutes, though, with Anthony Elanga firing in a ferocious 20-yard shot to restore parity.

With Sweden in the ascendancy, Zion Suzuki denied Alexander Isak and Elanga goals that would have sent Sweden through in second place as a gripping contest ended all square.

New Delhi, June 24: Just days ago, Cristiano Ronaldo was the target of relentless criticism as he failed to score in Portugal’s opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The Portugal captain endured a frustrating, goalless opener against DR Congo, prompting social media to erupt with jokes, memes, and questions about whether the 41-year-old still had what it takes to perform on football’s biggest stage.

For many, age had finally caught up with the legendary forward.

However, Ronaldo had other ideas.

Against Uzbekistan at Houston Stadium on Tuesday, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner delivered the perfect response, scoring twice in the first half and rewriting the history books in the process. It also propelled Portugal to a thumping 5-0 win against Uzbekistan.

The message was clear early in the match.

Just six minutes into the contest, Joao Cancelo surged down the right flank and drilled a low cross into the penalty area. Ronaldo was exactly where great goal scorers are expected to be. The Portuguese icon calmly swept home from close range to give his side the lead and send a warning to his critics.

But he wasn’t finished.

In the 39th minute, Ronaldo struck again, doubling both Portugal’s advantage and his personal tally for the night. The celebrations carried an extra edge, as if the veteran striker was determined to remind the football world that class does not fade with age.

The first goal was far more than just another World Cup strike.

It made Ronaldo the first footballer in history to score in six different FIFA World Cups — Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022, and now USA-Mexico-Canada 2026.

It also made Ronaldo, at 41 years & 138 days, the second-oldest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup behind Roger Milla of Cameroon, who scored a goal in 1994 at the age of 42 years & 39 days.

Twenty years after making his World Cup debut as a 21-year-old, Ronaldo continues to achieve feats no player before him has managed.

His latest milestone came barely 24 hours after Lionel Messi became the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, ensuring that football’s two greatest stars of the modern era continue to raise the bar even in the twilight of their careers.

The contrast with Portugal’s opening match could not have been sharper. The player who was mocked, doubted, and written off after one quiet performance suddenly looked unstoppable. Every sprint, every touch, and every finish seemed fuelled by the criticism that followed him into Houston.

As the goals went in, social media’s mood changed dramatically. The jokes disappeared. The criticism faded. In its place came admiration.

“Ronaldo, take a bow,” read countless posts from fans and pundits alike.

For one unforgettable evening, the Portuguese superstar reminded everyone why he remains one of football’s greatest-ever competitors.

The critics questioned him after one match.

Ronaldo answered with two goals, a historic record, and yet another chapter in an extraordinary legacy.

Result:

Portugal v Uzbekistan

C. Ronaldo 6′, 39′

N. Mendes 17′

A. Nematov 60′ (OG)

R. Leão 87′.