Portugal's World Cup journey remains on course after Cristiano Ronaldo and Goncalo Ramos inspired a dramatic turnaround against Croatia, sealing a 2-1 victory in a match that delivered goals, disallowed strikes, VAR controversy and heartbreak for Luka Modric's side.
The Portuguese were staring at elimination after Croatia seized control shortly after the restart, but a second-half response led by Ronaldo and capped by a stoppage-time winner from Ramos ensured Roberto Martinez's men progressed to the last 16, where Spain now await.
With speculation swirling before kick-off that defeat could mark the end of Ronaldo's international career, the veteran forward stepped onto the biggest stage knowing the stakes could hardly be higher.
Portugal controlled much of the first half and looked the more dangerous side, although they struggled to turn possession into clear-cut chances.
Croatia, however, emerged from the break with renewed energy and struck first eight minutes into the second half. A ball delivered to the back post was only partially cleared by Ruben Dias, allowing Ivan Perisic to unleash a powerful finish beyond Diogo Costa.
The goal shifted momentum in Croatia's favour and they almost doubled their advantage moments later. Igor Matanovic found the net after coming on at half-time, but the effort was ruled out after Nikola Vlasic was judged to have been offside during the move.
Portugal responded with urgency. Rafael Leao came close to restoring parity when his curling strike beat the goalkeeper but crashed against the crossbar. Ronaldo then thought he had equalised with a clever finish, only for the assistant referee's flag to cut celebrations short.
The breakthrough eventually arrived through a penalty after a VAR review identified a foul on Renato Veiga inside the area during a set piece. Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot, calmly sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and scoring his first goal in a World Cup knockout match.
The equaliser transformed the contest into an open battle, with both sides pushing for a decisive goal.
Croatia continued to threaten and nearly regained the lead through Mateo Kovacic, whose efforts forced Costa into a pair of important saves. Matanovic also came close but could not beat the Portuguese goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation.
The Croatians then had another goal ruled out. Petar Sucic raced onto a perfectly weighted pass from Kovacic and finished confidently, only to see the offside flag raised once more.
As tensions rose, Ronaldo's evening came to an end in the 81st minute. The forward's frustration was clear as he left the pitch, knowing the outcome was still hanging in the balance.
Opportunities followed at both ends. Veiga failed to direct a free header on target, while Mario Pasalic was also unable to take advantage of a promising chance for Croatia.
With extra time appearing increasingly likely, Portugal delivered the decisive blow deep into added time. Leao produced a brilliant cross into the penalty area and Ramos climbed above two defenders before directing his header beyond the goalkeeper to spark wild celebrations.
Yet the drama was far from over.
Croatia believed they had rescued the contest in the closing moments when Josko Gvardiol bundled the ball into the net following a dangerous delivery from the left.
Players and supporters celebrated what seemed to be a dramatic equaliser, but VAR quickly became involved. Replays showed Matanovic had made the slightest contact with Ivan Perisic's cross before the ball reached Mario Pasalic, who was standing in an offside position.
After reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, referee Espen Eskaas overturned the goal and confirmed the offside decision, leaving Croatia stunned and ending their World Cup campaign.
The result was especially painful for Modric, whose appearance may have been his final one at football's biggest tournament.
For Portugal, however, the dream continues. Having marked the first anniversary of Diogo Jota's passing with victory, they now move on to a heavyweight showdown against European champions Spain.
The last-16 encounter will also renew a recent rivalry between the two nations following Portugal's victory over Spain in the 2025 Nations League final, setting the stage for one of the standout matches of the tournament.