Ronaldo’s Penalty Goal Secures Draw for Portugal Against Croatia

In the FIFA World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first knockout stage goal. On June 19 in Kathmandu, during the Round of 32 match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Croatia, Ronaldo equalized for Portugal through a penalty. The game, held in Toronto, saw Portugal trailing by one goal before Ronaldo leveled the score in the 68th minute. Croatian player Vlasic pulled the jersey of Portugal’s Ricardo Veiga, but with the assistance of VAR, the referee awarded a penalty to Portugal.

This goal marked Ronaldo’s third of the tournament. He had previously scored twice against Uzbekistan in the group stage. With this goal, Ronaldo’s total World Cup goals have reached 11, placing him tied for ninth among the all-time top scorers. The match intensified following the equalizer. The first half ended goalless, and in the 53rd minute, Croatia’s Ivan Perisic had put his team ahead.