Portugal v Croatia: World Cup 2026 last 32 – live | World Cup 2026

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Portugal v Croatia: World Cup 2026 last 32 – live | World Cup 2026

Story By #RiseCelestialStudios

Key events

90 min +3 Vitinha charges into the box with the ball and falls over, but there wasn’t enough contact for anything but a short-lived shout from the Portuguese team.

Will we next see a VAR check of how much stoppage time to add? Seems only fair.

90 min +1 Portugal corner, and it’s another half-dangerous one but goes out again.

Vlasic out, Manchester City defender Gvardiol on. He started the first two games.

90 min Portugal press a little, and it pays off in forcing a long, aimless ball. Portugal possess as we await the stoppage-time signal. I’ll guess seven because we had a VAR check on top of the subs and the hydration break.

It’s 10. OK then.

88 min Croatia go ahead to Sukic on the right, he crosses and Mario Pasalic somehow heads it all the way back across the goal mouth wide of the far post. It seemed harder to do that than it was to put it on frame.

87 min Veiga outleaps everyone to get a head to the well-played corner, but he’s not able to redirect it toward goal.

86 min But THIS ball finds Conceição, who bangs it off a defender for a corner.

85 min Croatia press deep, but will they pay for it as Portugal work their way into the other half? Mendes ends up putting it in the air for Conceição, and I’m winning a 100m dash before he wins that ball in the air.

84 min Portugal have it now but can’t find a passage through the Croatian masses. They opt for “over” rather than “through,” but no one’s there.

82 min Portugal possessing against a neatly spaced gaggle of Croatians. They play it out for a goal kick, get it back, lose it again – still not seeing the long spells of possession they enjoyed in the first half.

Ronaldo is subbed out

Will that be his last kick in a World Cup? Ruben Neves is in.

Cristiano Ronaldo is off for Ruben Neves. Photograph: Dan Mullan/Getty ImagesShare

Updated at 20.46 EDT

No goal!

I was starting to say Portugal’s backline looks disorganized, and Croatia notice it as well, with a through ball to Sucic. He finishes neatly, tucks the ball into his jersey, then sees the flag.

Petar Sucic is a fraction offside. What a game this is. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/ReutersShare

Updated at 20.43 EDT

80 min Did Martinez make too many changes? Don’t look now, but he’s about to make another one, which will be his last.

79 min Veiga rises to get a head to a Croatian cross with an attacker looming a few feet behind him.

78 min Now Portugal can’t get a hold of the ball. Maybe the ball wants to remain in this half of the stadium, where Portugal were attacking in the first half and Croatia are attacking now.

77 min COSTA AGAIN! Matanovic pounces on an errant aerial clearance and is 1v1 against the Portuguese keeper from a somewhat acute angle. Costa saves. Hadn’t typed his name until a couple of minutes ago, and now he’s made three huge saves.

75 min CROATIA OFF THE POST, THEN SAVED! What a run from Kovacic, then a shot on the ground from the center 22 yards out. Costa gets a fingertip to it and deflects it off the post. Ball gets back to Kovacic near the same spot, and Costa punches his shot over.

Mateo Kovacic smashes one against post. Photograph: Europa Press Sports/Europa Press/Getty ImagesShare

Updated at 20.38 EDT

“The next issue they need to sort out, or at least clarify with respect to offside, is how they are determining when the ball is released. A few frames earlier and Ronaldo is onside.” – Jonathan Francis

This is something I’ve challenged for a while. You can make a precise-looking graphic showing when the ball was played, but have you synced it that perfectly with the ball? The ball now has a chip in it, but I’m wondering about that one …

72 min Baturina out, Pasalic in. Long throw-in, handled without too much difficulty by Diogo Costa, whose name I have not typed in this whole match thus far.

“Come on man, that was not a stonewall pen. Vlasic was holding him back but Veiga dived forward…” – Sicheng Jiang

Yeah, but he probably wasn’t able to dive as far forward as he would’ve liked? Maybe?

Everyone need a drink after all that? Good news!

Goal! Portugal 1-1 Croatia (Ronaldo 68 pen)

Ronaldo walks up, places the ball on the spot with no hesitation. Livakovic stands rigid. Whistle blows, Ronaldo takes one step, comes to a dead stop (are you allowed to do … never mind), no one moves, but Livakovic leaps to his right as Ronaldo rips it up the middle where Livakovic’s left shoulder used to be.

Cristiano Ronaldo levels it for Portugal! Photograph: Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters Photograph: Patrick Smith/FIFA/Getty ImagesShare

Updated at 20.31 EDT

Penalty!

See? VAR does some good!

Now … who takes this?

Subs out: Cancelo, Neto, Vitinha, Fernandes.

Still reviewing. This is absolutely a penalty, as Vlasic made the Canadian football tackle on Veiga.

64 min Dangerous corner for Portugal, and was Veiga being held? I think so!

63 min The graphic is … oddly drawn.

Let’s see if we can get all the subs. Bernardo Silva, Semedo, Ramos and Conceição in.

He was off? No he wasn’t! I don’t care what some contrived graphic says. If that’s offside, I’m typing this from the pool.

Cristiano Ronaldo was a shoulder offside. Ridiculously close. Photograph: Mattia Ozbot/Getty ImagesShare

Updated at 20.25 EDT

No goal

It was a lovely finish by Ronaldo … oh wait! He looks on!

FOUR subs are up for Portugal. Martinez reacting or overreacting?

60 min Modric with the foul to slow down Portugal, and that’s a yellow card.

59 min SHOT ON GOAL FOR CROATIA! Sucic from just inside the penalty area, foot save out for a corner.

58 min OFF THE BAR FOR PORTUGAL! Leão rips a shot from the top of the box, easily beating Livakovic but off the woodwork near the far post.

Rafael Leão rattles the crossbar! Photograph: Dylan Martinez/ReutersShare

Updated at 20.22 EDT

No goal!

But Croatia have it in the net again! Vlasic raced onto the ball and centered, but he was well offside. No VAR or anything needed here. Clear-cut call.

Nikola Vlasic was just offside. Photograph: Jeenah Moon/ReutersShare

Updated at 20.20 EDT

56 min: Portugal possess, still reeling from the shock.