Portugal Defeats Croatia 2-1 to Reach Round of 16 in FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Kathmandu. In the FIFA World Cup 2026 final 32 match, Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 to secure a place in the Round of 16. With this, Portugal's highly anticipated match against Spain has also been confirmed.

The first half of the match held at Toronto Stadium ended in a goalless draw. In the 53rd minute of the second half, Ivan Perisic scored to give Croatia the lead.

However, in the 68th minute, captain Cristiano Ronaldo successfully converted a penalty to bring Portugal back into the game. Then, in the fourth minute of injury time, Goncalo Ramos scored the decisive goal from a pass by Rafael Leao, giving Portugal a thrilling 2-1 victory.

With this victory, Portugal has secured a place in the Round of 16. Portugal will now compete against Spain in the pre-quarterfinals. This clash between two European football powerhouses is expected to be one of the most attractive matches of the World Cup.