Cristiano Ronaldo’s end canceled! The World Cup horror that had everything

Even before the match started, one could suspect that the fans in Toronto would witness a unique spectacle. Teams with many great football figures finally met. Led by Cristiano Ronaldo on the Portuguese side and Luka Modric – commander of Croatia.

Great spectacle of the World Championships in Toronto! Cristiano Ronaldo outplayed Luka Modric

However, the first 45 minutes were not an outstanding spectacle. Both teams played mainly with respect for the opponent, and as it turned out, the real emotions began in the second part of the match. The Croatians were the first to strike. The third team of the 2022 World Cup and the runners-up of the 2018 World Cup opened the scoring thanks to Ivan Perisic. One of the most experienced players on the pitch, a living legend of Croatian football.

However, this was only the beginning of the emotions. Portugal managed to equalize thanks to CR7’s goal. The 41-year-old Portuguese converted the penalty kick, and his shot was… the only contact the player had in the opponent’s penalty area during his 81 minutes on the pitch.

Moreover, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a goal in the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time in his career. So a unique story has been written.

There is no doubt that the unsung hero of the match was Portugal coach Robert Martinez. The coach was not afraid to take CR7 off the pitch when the team needed it. The Croatians, losing the goal at 1-1, attacked their opponents and, having the advantage in the central zone – mainly due to Cristiano’s lack of sufficient defensive work – they kept appearing in the Portuguese penalty area.

Goalkeeper Diogo Costa was brilliant between the posts, and when CR7 left the pitch, midfielder Ruben Neves plugged the holes in Portugal’s second line. Another of the substitutes, Goncalo Ramos, scored the goal that was important for the promotion. The striker made great use of the cross from Rafael Leao, the outstanding player throughout the match.

Interestingly, with the score 2-1 – a goal in extra time – the Croatians managed to make up for the losses so effectively that they scored 2-2. Although the joy among the Croatian fans was enormous, referee Espen Eskas disallowed the goal by Josko Gvardiol. Therefore, the footballer who usually plays for Manchester City did not redeem himself for… unsuccessful intervention on a goal at 1:2. He appeared on the pitch a moment earlier, but was passive when Ramos jumped up and hit the net.

And the disallowed goal? It seems that in fact – it was offside and the referee from Norway made the right decision.

It was a decision of great importance. On the one hand, it ultimately deprived the Croatians of any chance of advancing to the 1/8 finals. It is also a symbolic end of a beautiful era – with the representative careers of players such as the above-mentioned Modrić and Perisić. Although there will probably be more of these characters finishing their journey in the national team.

The next thing is the CR7 itself. Before the match, there was information provided by the Portuguese’s sister, clearly suggesting that the 2026 World Cup is the last tournament in which the striker will play for the national team. Therefore, it seems that the events of the added time of the match against Croatia… extended the career of this exceptional footballer even a little longer.

And if that wasn’t enough excitement, Portugal will play against Spain in the 1/8 finals. The Iberian Peninsula Derby will take place next Monday (July 6), in Dallas, from 9 p.m.

World Cup 2026. Where and when to watch the greatest football World Cup in history?

From June 11 to July 19, the 23rd FIFA World Cup will be held on pitches in three countries – the United States, Mexico and Canada. An event that will certainly be unique, if only because of its format. For the first time in history, as many as 48 teams will take part in the main tournament.

The title from four years ago is defended by the Argentines. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi and company defeated the French in the final, winning after a series of penalties (4:2). In the history of football World Cups, Brazil has the most titles – as many as five. Four victories in the history of the World Championships belong to the Italians and Germans. The Argentines won three times. More than once, the trophy for winning the World Cup was raised – twice – by the players of France and Uruguay.

The Polish national team was third twice at the World Championships, but those were the old days – we are talking about the events in 1974 and 1982. At the last World Cup, Poles managed to advance to the knockout phase, but were eliminated in the 1/8 finals by the French (1:3).

Matches of the 2026 World Cup can only be watched on Polish Television – on TVP Sport, TVP 1 and TVP 2 and on tvpsport.pl. Additionally, broadcasts will be available in the TVP Sport mobile application and smart TV.