and I am very happy, obviously," Ronaldo explained.
With this appearance, Ronaldo reached 26 World Cup matches, surpassing German legends Lothar Matthäus and Miroslav Klose to become the second-highest appearance maker in tournament history, behind only Lionel Messi's 29 games.
His penalty also made him the oldest goalscorer in a World Cup knockout fixture.
Portugal's victory was sealed in stoppage time by substitute Gonçalo Ramos, who headed home a cross from Rafael Leão after Ivan Perišić had opened the scoring for Croatia.
The final whistle also marked the end of international tournament play for Croatian midfielder Luka Modrić.
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Portugal will now face Spain in the round of 16 on Monday, July 6, 2026.
