Croatia thought their FIFA World Cup hopes were still alive when they scored the game-tying goal just before the end of stoppage time in the second half.But a VAR review said Mario Pasalic was offside, and it was Portugal moving on instead.Gonçalo Ramos’ goal just minutes earlier — a beautiful header into the back of the net in the 94th minute — was the decider in this 2-1 victory for Portugal.And it was only the second time in Portuguese World Cup history the nation needed to come from behind to win, underscoring its resilience on the sport's biggest stage.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMLuka Modric of Croatia and teammates react after the 1-2 loss during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia at Toronto Stadium on July 2, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario.
(Patrick Smith - FIFA)It was a controversial ending, though, and one where Croatia tried to argue the ball never hit the head of Igor Matanovic, which made Pasalic offside during VAR review.It’s also worth noting that a new chip within the ball shows when it is touched, giving more concrete evidence to the referee’s final decision in such a crucial time of the match.This was the 10th goal overruled by VAR thus far in the World Cup.GABRIEL MARTINELLI'S 96TH-MINUTE GOAL RESCUES BRAZIL FROM JAPAN UPSET IN WORLD CUP ROUND OF 32So, with the goal annulled, Croatia’s time at the tournament has ended.
As a result, Croatian legend Luka Modrić is finishing his fifth World Cup, which will likely be the 40-year-old midfielder’s final one.But another older legend on the pitch will move on, as Cristiano Ronaldo made some World Cup history during this match.When No.7 stepped foot on the pitch and the ball was kicked, he became the oldest player to participate in a knockout stage match at the World Cup at 41 years and 147 days old.
He also became the oldest player to score in a knockout stage match when he saw a penalty situation while Portugal was down 1-0 in the matc...