By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Portugal booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 after surviving a spirited challenge from Croatia to register a thrilling 2-1 victory in the Round of 32 clash on Thursday night at Toronto Stadium.
Croatia appeared to have forced extra time with a last-gasp equaliser, prompting despair on the Portugal bench where Cristiano Ronaldo looked crestfallen. But VAR intervened, ruling the goal offside and preserving Portugal’s lead. The decision enraged Croatian fans in the south end of Toronto Stadium, who showered the field with debris in protest.
The victory keeps alive Portugal’s dream of lifting a second major international trophy after their UEFA Euro 2016 triumph. More importantly, it sets up one of the most anticipated encounters of the tournament—a Round of 16 showdown against neighbours Spain.
Cristiano Ronaldo (41) who had never scored a goal in knockouts of the World Cup in six editions, converted a penalty to become the oldest-ever goal-scorer in the history of the tournament in the knockouts.
Spain advanced with an equally convincing performance, defeating Austria 3-0, ensuring that the Iberian rivals will now battle for a place in the quarter-finals. With this victory, Spain put their World Cup rivals on notice with a dominant 3-0 win thanks to a Mikel Oyarzabal double and another commanding defensive display to reach the last 16.
For Croatia, the defeat marked a heartbreaking end to an impressive campaign. The 2018 World Cup finalists fought with courage and character but were unable to find the decisive goal that would have forced a penalty shootout.
Portugal now move forward with momentum, though their narrow escape against Croatia serves as a reminder that sterner tests await as the race for World Cup glory intensifies.