Portugal captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has shared his thoughts after his team achieved a 2-1 victory over Croatia in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Roberto Martinez’s squad staged a comeback against Zlatko Dalić’s team to secure advancement to the Round of 16.
Veteran Croatian player Ivan Perisic put the 2018 FIFA World Cup finalists ahead in the 53rd minute.
Cristiano Ronaldo equalized for Portugal from the penalty spot in the 68th minute, marking his first-ever goal in the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Substitute, Goncalo Ramos clinched the win for the Selecao with a remarkable header in the 94th minute. Croatia believed they had equalized to force extra time, but Josko Gvardiol’s strike in the 103rd minute was disallowed for offside.
After the match, Ronaldo emphasized that no match in the FIFA World Cup is straightforward. He stressed the importance of learning from their errors and addressing them if they aim to win the tournament.
The Al-Nassr superstar said, as quoted by OJOGO, “It was a somewhat unusual game; we controlled the first half, but not as much in the second. They scored, and we became a bit anxious. It was a chaotic match, but this is the World Cup. It has to be like this; no one wins games easily.
“It will always be this way, game by game, assessing what we did wrong and ensuring we do not repeat it. We experienced moments of difficulty; it’s part of the game. To triumph in this competition, you must navigate through these challenges.”
Ronaldo has netted three goals in four matches in the 2026 World Cup thus far.
Portugal is set to face reigning European champions, Spain in the Round of 16 at the Dallas Stadium on Monday, July 6.