Water bottles were thrown onto the pitch moments after the referee disallowed Croatia’s late equalizer. The 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinalists were heartbreakingly eliminated after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Portugal in the Round of 32 at Toronto Stadium, Canada, on Friday, July 3, 2026.
Croatia took the lead through Ivan Perišić in the 57th minute. However, Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot in the 68th minute. Portugal then seized the momentum when substitute Gonçalo Ramos headed home the winning goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
The drama intensified deep into added time when Joško Gvardiol believed he had scored Croatia’s equalizer. However, a VAR review showed that the ball had deflected off Igor Matanović, placing Gvardiol in an offside position. The decision devastated the Croatian camp, while frustrated supporters reacted by throwing objects onto the field.
Portugal advanced to the Round of 16, where they will face Spain.
Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalić expressed disappointment over what he described as poor officiating but refused to use it as an excuse for his team’s elimination.
“The refereeing was very poor. But Croatia lost. I will not make excuses. We actually had opportunities to win the match much earlier,” Dalić said.
He added that Croatia created too few chances in the first half before improving significantly after the break. Ultimately, however, the fortune that had accompanied the team during the 2018 and 2022 World Cups had run out.
On the other hand, Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez believed his side fully deserved the victory. He also praised the referee’s performance, saying the crucial decisions had been made correctly.
“There were no incorrect decisions. Today we were fortunate. The replay clearly showed the offside, and the penalty was obvious. I appreciate the work Dalić has done with this team, and unfortunately there could only be one winner today,” Martínez said.
The match also saw Cristiano Ronaldo set another World Cup milestone. At 41 years old, he became the oldest player ever to score in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup, surpassing his Portugal teammate Pepe, who previously held the record at the age of 39.
Spain and Switzerland Advance Convincingly
Elsewhere, both Spain and Switzerland secured convincing victories to reach the Round of 16.
At Los Angeles Stadium in the United States, Spain defeated Austria 3-0. Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice in the 36th and 89th minutes, while Pedro Porro added another goal in the 66th minute.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente praised Oyarzabal’s outstanding performance, saying the Real Sociedad forward had displayed his best form against Austria.
“I think we played an outstanding match today. I’m pleased because we were almost perfect in nearly every aspect, but we must continue improving,” De la Fuente said.
The 65-year-old coach also reminded his players that every match from this stage onward would become increasingly difficult, especially their upcoming clash with Portugal.
“Every match from now on will be extremely difficult. In the Round of 16, every opponent will naturally be of a higher quality,” he added.
Switzerland also booked their place in the Round of 16 after defeating Algeria 2-0 at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada. Breel Embolo opened the scoring in the 10th minute before Dan Ndoye sealed the victory in the 64th minute.
Switzerland will face the winner of the Round of 32 match between Colombia and Ghana in the next round.***
