An unforgettable match at the World Cup: Ramos had the final say

In the match played at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, Portugal and Croatia battled for a ticket to the World Cup round of 16. Neither team could capitalize on their opportunities in the first half, leaving the score unchanged as the teams went into the break at 0-0.

The deadlock was broken in favor of Croatia early in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Ivan Perisic scored with a powerful strike from inside the penalty area to put his team ahead. This goal marked Perisic's seventh in World Cup history, making the 37-year-old star the sole record holder for the most goals scored by a Croatian player in the World Cup, surpassing Davor Suker.

Another historic moment occurred in the 68th minute. Portugal was awarded a penalty following a VAR review after a challenge by Croatian player Vlasic on Veiga inside the penalty area. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to the spot and converted the penalty to equalize, writing his name into World Cup history as the oldest player to score in a knockout stage match. The 41-year-old star also recorded his first-ever knockout stage goal in the tournament in his career.

The match continued with back-and-forth attacks, and Ronaldo was substituted for Ruben Neves in the 81st minute. In a match defined by intense competition, Portugal found the goal they were looking for in stoppage time. With Gonçalo Ramos's goal in the 90+4th minute, Portugal became the team to advance.

In the final moments of the match, a ball sent into his own net by Neves was reviewed by VAR and disallowed due to an offside call. With no further goals in the remaining minutes, Portugal left the pitch with a 2-1 victory and secured their place in the round of 16.

The team led by Portugal's head coach Roberto Martinez will face a tough Spain side in the next round for a spot in the quarterfinals. Croatia, one of the recent finalists in World Cup history, bids farewell to this year's tournament in the round of 32.

RONALDO AND MODRIC'S WORLD CUP ENCOUNTER

Two star names drew attention on the pitch during the match. 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and 40-year-old Luka Modric faced off once again on the World Cup stage. The pair have played in a combined total of 49 World Cup matches to date and are also prominent figures in the Ballon d'Or awards; Ronaldo has won the award five times, while Modric has won it once. The two players, who played together at Real Madrid between 2012 and 2018, celebrated four Champions League titles together.

News Source: 12punto