FIFA World Cup 2026: Dates, Host Cities & Must-See Matchups You Can’t Miss

AT&T Stadium in Arlington delivered one of the early classics of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Portugal edged Croatia 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals. Both sides spent the opening hour probing without reward, but the deadlock broke on 67 minutes when Ivan Perišić headed past Diogo Costa to stun the sea of red-and-green shirts. Cristiano Ronaldo answered eight minutes later, burying a penalty high to the keeper’s left for his record-extending 10th goal across six World Cups. Croatia retreated after the equaliser and paid the price in stoppage time. João Félix’s whipped corner found Gonçalo Ramos, whose flicked header glanced inside the far post to spark bedlam among the 90,000-plus crowd and end Croatia’s tournament run. Key numbers • 41-year-old Ronaldo is the oldest scorer in World Cup knockout history, surpassing Roger Milla’s 1990 mark. • Portugal attempted 23 shots to Croatia’s nine, finishing with 2.4 expected goals to 0.9. • Ramos now has five goals in six World Cup appearances, all coming as a substitute. What it means Portugal advance to a blockbuster quarter-final with reigning champions Spain in Los Angeles on 8 July. Croatia exit after reaching at least the last eight at three straight major tournaments. Looking ahead Manager Roberto Martínez hinted that Félix could start against Spain to “stretch their back line,” while Luka Modrić admitted this was “probably my last World Cup.” Tickets for the Iberian derby sold out within an hour of release, and secondary-market prices have already topped $1,300. SEO spotlight keywords: Portugal vs Croatia, World Cup 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo goal, Gonçalo Ramos winner, Round of 32, AT&T Stadium match, Spain quarter-final matchup.