Portugal Edge Croatia in a Match Full of Drama
The heat in Toronto at kickoff was stifling — 88 degrees Fahrenheit with 56 percent humidity amid a heat wave sweeping across much of North America. Neither side helped themselves by missing chances throughout a goalless first half, though Portugal had clearly the better of the opportunities, outshooting Croatia nine attempts to three. The breakthrough came in the second half, but it was Croatia who took it. Ivan Perišić, 37, brought down a cross and struck it past goalkeeper Diogo Costa to open the scoring. The goal made Perišić the all-time leading scorer in Croatia's World Cup history with seven tournament goals.
Portugal pushed for a response and eventually got the moment they needed through a VAR review. The referee determined that Renato Veiga had been fouled in the box by Croatian defender Marin Pongračić, and up stepped Ronaldo to take the spot kick. He converted, triggering his iconic celebration before being replaced in the 81st minute by Rúben Neves to a standing ovation from the BMO Field crowd. Then, with 10 minutes of stoppage time added, it was Gonçalo Ramos who headed home from a Rafa Leão cross in the 94th minute to give Portugal a 2-1 lead. Croatia thought they had levelled things in the dying moments through Joško Gvardiol, but a VAR check ruled the goal offside and Portugal held on to reach the Round of 16, where they will face Spain on July 6.
After the final whistle, an emotional scene played out on the pitch. Ronaldo embraced his former Real Madrid teammate and Croatian midfielder Luka Modrić, before being seen wearing the jersey of his late Portuguese teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash on July 3, 2025 — almost exactly one year to the day. Ronaldo described it as a special moment to help Portugal advance on the anniversary of Jota's passing, saying the timing felt almost unbelievable and that it meant a great deal to the entire squad.
Spain Stroll Past Austria, Switzerland Beat Algeria
Earlier in the day, Spain produced a polished and controlled performance against Austria at SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles. Mikel Oyarzabal broke the deadlock in the 37th minute after a well-constructed team move involving Dani Olmo and Marc Cucurella, with Oyarzabal finishing first time from the centre of the Austrian penalty area. A disallowed Spanish goal for a foul on the Austrian goalkeeper had preceded it, but Spain were always in command of the contest. Pedro Porro headed in a cross from Álex Baena in the 66th minute to make it 2-0, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the scoring to complete a 3-0 win that was rarely in any doubt. Spain advance to face Portugal on July 6 in what promises to be a heavyweight Round of 16 tie.
In the final match of the day, Switzerland saw off Algeria 2-0 in a result that was settled before the second half had barely begun. Breel Embolo turned in a Johan Manzambi cross at the 10-minute mark to give the Swiss the lead against the early run of play, and then Dan Ndoye buried the ball into the bottom corner within seconds of the restart to double the advantage and effectively end the contest. Algeria pushed for a way back into the game but found little joy against a well-organised Swiss defence. Switzerland will now face the winner of the tie between Ghana and Colombia in the Round of 16, with their passage into the last 16 secured with plenty of room to spare.
