Despite equalizing for Portugal with a penalty in the 68th minute and having an earlier goal disallowed, 41-year-old forward Cristiano Ronaldo was substituted in the 81st minute, making way for Ruben Neves.
Martinez explained the decision: "After falling behind, we took a risk with two forwards to apply pressure. However, once we equalized, we needed more players in midfield to control the game. Goncalo Ramos always makes a positive impact when he comes on, as do Bernardo Silva or Francisco Conceicao. Therefore, I decided to substitute Ronaldo."
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Ronaldo shakes hands with coach Martinez after being substituted during the Portugal versus Croatia match in the World Cup 2026 round of 16 in Toronto, Canada on 2/7. *Photo: Reuters*
Despite his goal against Livakovic, Ronaldo's overall performance in Toronto on 2/7 was not particularly prominent. Excluding an offside call in the second half, the forward, born in 1985, managed only two shots throughout the entire match.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner touched the ball only one time in Croatia's penalty area, which was the penalty leading to the 1-1 equalizer. This marked the first time Ronaldo did not play the full 90 minutes of a World Cup match this year. After leaving the field, he shook hands and embraced coach Martinez and other Portuguese team members before enthusiastically cheering on his teammates for the remaining minutes.
The Portugal national team coach further emphasized: "The Portugal team has clear attacking strategies. Today, we wanted to exploit the central area but couldn't, so we had to shift to attacking more on the flanks with Rafael Leao. Bernardo Silva also constantly moved to stretch the opponent's midfield. The changes were simply to adapt to the developments on the field."
About ten minutes after Ronaldo's departure, the Euro 2016 champions took the lead through Goncalo Ramos. The 2-1 score was maintained until the end of the match, as Josko Gvardiol's injury-time goal was disallowed for offside.
The victory over Croatia secured Portugal's spot in the round of 16, where they will face Spain. This anticipated clash in Arlington, USA, is scheduled for 2h on 7/7, Hanoi time.
The match at AT&T Stadium in four days will mark Cristiano Ronaldo's 11th encounter with La Roja. In their previous 10 Iberian Peninsula derbies, Ronaldo scored four goals, including a hat-trick in the 2018 World Cup group stage.
The 41-year-old forward has faced Spain twice in World Cup and Euro knockout rounds, losing both matches. In total, Portugal, with Ronaldo, has won two, drawn four, and lost four in their clashes against their neighbors.
By Vy Anh
