Ronaldo Makes World Cup History as Ramos Fires Portugal Past Croatia into Round of 16

Cristiano Ronaldo made FIFA World Cup history on Thursday night, scoring his first-ever knockout-stage goal before Gonçalo Ramos struck a dramatic stoppage-time winner to give Portugal a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Croatia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32.

The pulsating encounter at Toronto Stadium delivered everything football fans could hope for—stunning goals, VAR drama, disallowed strikes, missed chances and a last-gasp winner—as Portugal secured a place in the World Cup Round of 16, where they will face Spain in a blockbuster Iberian showdown on Monday, July 6.

Portugal dominated possession during the opening half, dictating the tempo and creating the better chances without finding a breakthrough against a disciplined Croatian defence led by Josko Gvardiol.

Croatia emerged stronger after the interval and deservedly took the lead in the 53rd minute. Ivan Perišić capitalised after Rúben Dias failed to fully clear a cross, rifling a powerful finish beyond goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

The Croatians believed they had doubled their advantage just two minutes later when substitute Igor Matanović bundled the ball into the net from close range. However, the assistant referee ruled the effort out for offside after Nikola Vlašić was adjudged to have interfered in the build-up.

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Portugal responded with renewed urgency.

Rafael Leão came within inches of equalising when his curling effort crashed against the crossbar, while Ronaldo thought he had scored with a delicate lob over Dominik Livaković only for VAR to confirm he had drifted narrowly offside.

The breakthrough eventually came in the 68th minute after a lengthy VAR review spotted Renato Veiga being fouled inside the penalty area during a corner kick. Ronaldo calmly converted the resulting penalty, drawing Portugal level and etching his name into football history.

The goal made the 41-year-old the oldest player ever to score in a FIFA World Cup knockout match, while also ending his long wait for a knockout-stage goal after appearances across six World Cup tournaments. It was another landmark in Ronaldo’s remarkable international career.

Croatia refused to retreat.

Mateo Kovačić inspired several dangerous attacks after the hydration break, forcing Diogo Costa into two excellent saves before denying Matanović in a one-on-one situation.

Petar Sučić also thought he had restored Croatia’s lead after racing onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Kovačić, but the offside flag was raised once again.

Ronaldo’s evening ended in frustration when he was substituted in the 81st minute, visibly unhappy with the decision. Even after his departure, Portugal continued to push for a winner, while Renato Veiga and Mario Pašalić both squandered excellent headed opportunities at opposite ends of the pitch.

Just when extra time appeared inevitable, Portugal produced the decisive moment.

In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Rafael Leão delivered a superb cross from the left flank and substitute Gonçalo Ramos rose above two Croatian defenders to head emphatically into the net, sending Portuguese players and supporters into wild celebrations.

Croatia believed they had rescued the contest in the 103rd minute when Josko Gvardiol bundled home during a frantic goalmouth scramble.

However, a lengthy VAR review determined that Igor Matanović had made the slightest touch on the cross before it reached Mario Pašalić, who was standing in an offside position. The goal was ruled out, ending Croatia’s hopes and confirming Portugal’s dramatic victory.

The contest featured four disallowed goals, underlining the significant influence of VAR throughout one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament so far.

After the final whistle, Ronaldo paid an emotional tribute to his late Portugal teammate Diogo Jota by wearing a jersey bearing Jota’s name and number before pointing skyward in a touching moment of remembrance.

Portugal will now face reigning European champions Spain in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 at Dallas Stadium, Texas, on Monday, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs. Croatia, meanwhile, bow out after a spirited display that ultimately fell just short.

Ronaldo Makes World Cup History as Ramos Fires Portugal Past Croatia into Round of 16

Mbappe Brace Fires France Past Sweden, Sets Up Paraguay Showdown

France delivered another emphatic statement of intent at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as captain Kylian Mbappé scored twice and Michael Olise produced a masterclass in creativity to inspire a commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden, sealing a place in the round of 16 against Paraguay.

Backed by a crowd of 80,663 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Les Bleus completely outclassed their Scandinavian opponents, dominating possession, creating a flurry of chances and never allowing Sweden to gain any meaningful foothold in the contest.

Mbappé finally broke the deadlock just before half-time after France had twice rattled the woodwork through the striker himself and Olise.

The French maintained the pressure after the restart, with Olise threading a superb pass to Bradley Barcola, who blasted home France’s second goal in the 53rd minute.

Olise crowned a dazzling display by setting up Mbappé again in the 74th minute, with the France captain curling home his second of the night to complete a convincing victory.

The brace moved Mbappé level with Lionel Messi on six goals in the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot. It also took his overall World Cup tally to 18 goals, leaving the 27-year-old just one strike behind Messi’s record of 19.

Mbappé marked his opening goal with an emotional celebration, running to embrace coach Didier Deschamps, who recently returned after briefly leaving the team’s camp following the death of his mother.

Deschamps, who will step down after the tournament following 14 successful years in charge, remains on course for a memorable farewell. The former France captain lifted the World Cup as a player in 1998 before guiding the nation to another title in 2018.

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France’s next opponents, Paraguay national football team, evoke memories of that 1998 triumph, when France edged Paraguay 1-0 in extra time in the round of 16 through Laurent Blanc’s famous golden goal. The two sides will meet again on Saturday in Philadelphia for a place in the quarter-finals.

Olise was the heartbeat of France’s attack throughout, while Ousmane Dembélé constantly troubled Sweden’s defence with his pace and trickery.

Sweden, despite boasting Premier League stars Viktor Gyökeres, Alexander Isak and Anthony Elanga, struggled to create opportunities as France’s relentless control denied them space and possession.

The warning signs had come early when Mbappé had a goal ruled out for offside after being played through by Olise in the 20th minute. France continued to pile on the pressure, with Mbappé striking the post, Adrien Rabiot firing narrowly over and Olise producing an acrobatic overhead kick that crashed against the upright before Dembélé squandered the rebound.

The breakthrough eventually arrived on the stroke of half-time after Jacob Widell Zetterström tipped away an Olise effort. France worked the resulting corner brilliantly, allowing Dembélé and Olise to combine before Mbappé swept home.

France resumed with the same intensity after the break. Just eight minutes into the second half, Olise split Sweden’s defence with a perfectly weighted pass through the legs of Gustaf Lagerbielke for Barcola to finish emphatically.

Although Olise missed a chance to get on the scoresheet himself, he quickly made amends by delivering another exquisite assist for Mbappé to curl home France’s third and seal an impressive win.

Having brushed aside Sweden with authority, France now head into the knockout stages looking every inch one of the favourites to lift the World Cup trophy, while Paraguay face the daunting task of trying to halt Mbappé and his free-flowing teammates.

Mbappe Brace Fires France Past Sweden, Sets Up Paraguay Showdown

German Media React After World Cup Humiliation, Call Team ‘Slow, Boring, Lethargic’

Germany’s shock World Cup exit at the hands of Paraguay has unleashed a wave of outrage across the country’s media, with newspapers delivering scathing verdicts on Julian Nagelsmann’s side and describing the elimination as another dark chapter in the nation’s football decline.

The four-time world champions crashed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the round of 16, extending a dismal run that has seen Germany fail to progress beyond the last 16 in each of the past three tournaments. They have also not won a World Cup knockout match since lifting the trophy in Rio de Janeiro in 2014.

Nagelsmann, who at 38 became the youngest coach to lead a team in a World Cup knockout match in 40 years, had opted for an attack-minded line-up by handing tournament top scorer Deniz Undav his first start.

Germany believed they had snatched a dramatic winner in the 102nd minute when Jonathan Tah headed home from a corner, only for the goal to be ruled out after a lengthy VAR review for a foul on the goalkeeper.

The match eventually went to penalties, where Germany’s campaign unravelled completely as Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah all failed to convert, allowing Paraguay’s Jose Canale to seal a famous victory.

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The country’s biggest-selling newspaper, Bild, described the display as a “disastrous performance,” saying Nagelsmann’s side produced “a truly awful performance for much of the game. Slow. Boring. Lethargic. It’s another German football nightmare.”

Die Zeit blamed Germany’s defeat on a “lack of imagination,” arguing that the team had lost all sense of its former greatness. Columnist Christian Spiller said the problems reflected the broader decline of German football beyond the dominance of Bayern Munich.

For Süddeutsche Zeitung, the latest elimination was even more humiliating than Germany’s group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup, insisting that, unlike in Qatar, there were no excuses this time because the team simply failed to find solutions when it mattered most.

Meanwhile, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung questioned whether Nagelsmann could continue in charge, describing his relationship with the national team as “beyond saving.”

Despite the widespread criticism, some observers felt Germany were hard done by over the controversial VAR decision that ruled out Tah’s extra-time goal.

Former Jürgen Klopp, working as a television pundit during the tournament, argued that similar goals had been routinely allowed in the Premier League.

“If the goal is illegal, then Arsenal won’t be English champions,” Klopp told MagentaTV. “They’ve scored 60 per cent of their goals that way. We win the game when the ball goes in. So, of course, this is brutal.”

German Media React After World Cup Humiliation, Call Team ‘Slow, Boring, Lethargic’