Let’s talk about the curse first. Because it was real, and it was heavy.
Cristiano Ronaldo had played eight World Cup knockout matches before Thursday night. Eight matches. Zero goals. Zero assists. For a man who has scored more international goals than any player in history, this was the one stain on his record. The one thing his critics could always point to.
When Croatia took the lead in the 53rd minute — Ivan Perisic, 37 years old and still magnificent, smashing the ball past Diogo Costa — the old doubts started creeping in. Was this going to be another night of frustration? Another knockout match where Ronaldo couldn’t deliver?
When Ronaldo scored in the 61st minute, only to see it disallowed for offside by half a shoulder, the narrative seemed to be writing itself. The curse was real. It was never going to happen.
The Redemption
Then, seven minutes later, a penalty. Renato Veiga was fouled in the box. VAR confirmed it. Ronaldo placed the ball on the spot.
Think about the pressure. Think about the weight of 12 years of failure. Think about the millions watching around the world, the critics waiting to pounce, the memes being drafted in real time.
Ronaldo ran up. He struck the ball straight down the middle. Livakovic dived to his right. The ball hit the back of the net.
1-1. The curse was broken. Ronaldo ran to the corner flag and launched into his signature celebration — the leap, the spin, the “SIUUUUU!” that echoed around Toronto Stadium. At 41 years and 147 days, he had become the oldest goalscorer in World Cup knockout history.
The Winner
The match was heading for extra time. Croatia were pushing. Kovacic hit the post. Diogo Costa made saves that defied physics. The tension was unbearable.
Then, in the 94th minute, Rafael Leao — who had been quiet for most of the match — produced a moment of brilliance. He beat his man, drove to the byline, and delivered a cross. Goncalo Ramos, the young striker who had replaced Ronaldo in the starting lineup at the 2022 World Cup and scored a hat-trick, rose above the Croatian defence. His header was perfect. 2-1.
Ramos said afterwards: “I love those types of moments. I love those types of games. I want to be in the big moment.”
The Heartbreak
But the drama was not over. In the 12th minute of stoppage time, Croatia launched one final attack. The ball was swung into the box. Ruben Neves, trying to clear, turned it into his own net. Croatia celebrated. The bench emptied. The Croatian fans in the south end of the stadium went wild.
Then VAR intervened. The chip in the ball showed a touch from Igor Matanovic. The Croatian player who delivered the final pass was offside. Goal disallowed.
Croatia’s coach, Zlatko Dalic, was furious: “VAR is taking the joy out of football. It kills the emotions, it kills everything within you.”
But the decision stood. Croatia were out. Modric’s World Cup career was over.
The Embrace
And so we come back to the embrace. Ronaldo and Modric. Two men who won four Champions Leagues together at Real Madrid. Two men who have been rivals and friends for nearly two decades. Two men who, at 41 and 40, were playing their last World Cup match against each other.
Ronaldo said afterwards: “Luka, I wish you all the best in your career. He is a legend of football. He always has been. I have enormous respect for everything he has achieved.”
Real Madrid posted a photo of the embrace with a single word: “Leyendas.” Legends.
What Comes Next
Portugal will face Spain in the Round of 16. An Iberian derby. Ronaldo vs the new generation. In 2018, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Spain, including that iconic free-kick in the dying minutes. Eight years later, he faces them again.
The curse is broken. The last dance continues. And somewhere in Croatia, a nation mourns the end of an era — but also celebrates the man who gave them everything.
Modric, the boy who grew up in a war zone, who became one of the greatest midfielders the game has ever seen, who led a nation of four million people to a World Cup final — his World Cup story is over.
But as he walked off the pitch in Toronto, wrapped in the arms of his old friend, he was not a loser. He was a legend saying goodbye. And that is a moment that belongs to football, not to any scoreline.
