A stunning long-range strike from substitute Goncalo Ramos led Portugal to a 2-1 win over Croatia at Toronto Stadium on Friday. Portugal’s top-flight victory places it in the Round of 16, setting up a blockbuster Iberian derby against neighbors Spain on Monday.The high-profile meeting ended in a heated argument. Trailing 2-1 inside stoppage time, Croatia decided to force extra time for the final blow of the match. However, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened after a lengthy review and ruled Mario Pasalić offside. The decision sparked angry protests from Croatian fans, who threw bottles onto the pitch and booed loudly.Earlier, Croatia broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute when defender Josip Stanišić delivered a right-footed cross, allowing veteran winger Ivan Perišić to beat Portugal keeper Diogo Costa. Down with the goal, Portugal’s World Cup dreams appeared to be in serious jeopardy.However, the 2016 European champions fought hard and received the necessary punishment. Portuguese charm Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up in the 68th minute and converted well from the spot to make it 1-1. With this clinical threat, the 41-year-old maestro made history and became the most successful in the history of FIFA World Cup. Interestingly, it was also Ronaldo’s first goal in the competition.Sensing the need for fresh energy, Portuguese manager Roberto Martínez took a bold gamble by replacing Ronaldo in the 82nd minute. The move paid off in the 94th minute when winger Rafael Leão curled a beautiful ball into the box. An alert Ramos hoped to deliver, beating Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković with a powerful low header to seal victory.The defeat marks a sad end to Luka Modrić’s international career. The 40-year-old midfielder, who led his country to the final in 2018 and finished third in 2022, could not pull off one last miracle in his fifth and final World Cup campaign. Portugal now travel to face a formidable Spanish side in what promises to be an intriguing prequarterfinal clash.