Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name into World Cup folklore during Portugal’s Round of 32 clash against Croatia, becoming the oldest player to ever find the net in a World Cup knockout fixture. At 41 years and 147 days old, the veteran forward converted a second-half penalty to level the score after Ivan Perisic had put Croatia ahead, surpassing the record previously set by his former Real Madrid teammate Pepe, who was 39 years and 283 days old when he scored in 2022.
A Night of Frustration Turned Triumph
The milestone came after an earlier setback for Ronaldo, who had a goal ruled out for offside in the first half. He had latched onto a long ball from deep and beaten Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, only for replays to show his shoulder was marginally ahead of the last defender. The penalty, awarded after Renato Veiga was fouled inside the box during a corner, gave Ronaldo the chance to make amends—and he took it calmly under pressure.
VAR Denies Croatia a Late Leveler
Gonçalo Ramos added a second goal to put Portugal in control, securing a 2-1 win. But the drama wasn’t over. In stoppage time, Croatia thought they had snatched a dramatic equalizer through Josko Gvardiol, only for VAR to intervene once again. Officials ruled that Mario Pasalic was in an offside position when the ball reached him in the buildup, chalking off the goal and sealing Portugal’s progress.
The result sends Ronaldo and Portugal into the Round of 16, keeping alive the 41-year-old’s pursuit of a first World Cup title in what could be his final tournament appearance.