Portugal's captain Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest player to score in a FIFA World Cup knockout match in his side's 2-1 win against Croatia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32.
The 41-year-old forward converted a second-half penalty to bring Portugal level after Croatia had taken the lead through Ivan Perisic. Ronaldo’s goal not only helped Portugal mount a comeback but also cemented his name in the FIFA record books again.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who is 41 years and 147 days old, became the oldest player to score in a FIFA World Cup knockout match, surpassing his former Portugal teammate Pepe, who was 39 years and 283 days old when he scored against Switzerland at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Ronaldo was also the first player in history to score in a FIFA World Cup knockout game after turning 40, adding another unique mark to his long list of international records.
Portugal earned the crucial penalty in the second half after defender Renato Veiga was brought down inside the penalty area while trying to make a corner. Ronaldo stepped up and calmly sent Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic the wrong way to score his first-ever goal in a FIFA World Cup knockout game.
The Portuguese superstar had actually thought he had scored after controlling a long aerial pass and lifting the ball over Livakovic and into the net. But the celebrations were curtailed when the offside flag was raised by the assistant referee. Ronaldo looked like he was onside at the time, but television replays showed that his shoulder was slightly ahead of the last defender.
Portugal completed the turnaround when Goncalo Ramos scored the winning goal to seal a 2-1 victory and their place in the Round of 16.
The final stages of the match saw more VAR controversy. Croatia thought they had equalised through defender Josko Gvardiol after a move involving Igor Matanovic, Mario Pasalic and Ivan Perisic.
However, the goal was ruled out after a long VAR review. Match officials determined that Matanovic's touch came while Pasalic was in an offside position during the build-up, resulting in the goal being disallowed.
Portugal managed to secure victory and make it through to the next round, and Ronaldo’s historic strike helped ensure that there would be another chapter in one of the greatest careers in football history. The goal further confirmed his place in history as one of the game's all-time greats and proved that even at 41, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner continues to deliver on football's biggest stage.
