There are very few milestones left for Cristiano Ronaldo to achieve in his illustrious career, but the Portuguese legend finally ticked off a long-awaited FIFA World Cup achievement this week.

Portugal triumphed over Croatia in an entertaining round of 32 clash on Friday, setting up a much-anticipated encounter with their Iberian neighbours, Spain.

Despite dominating the first half, Portugal found themselves trailing in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perisic calmly slotted the ball past goalkeeper Diogo Costa to give Croatia the lead.

Ronaldo appeared to have equalised soon after, controlling a lofted pass from Joao Cancelo beautifully before finishing smartly into the net. However, his trademark celebration was quickly halted as the assistant referee’s flag was raised—he had strayed offside in the build-up.

The Al-Nassr striker got another chance moments later when Portugal were awarded a penalty following a VAR review that spotted Nikola Vlasic tugging on Renato Veiga inside the box.

The decision seemed soft compared to some challenges that had gone unpunished in this tournament, but the referee’s call stood. Ronaldo stepped up and calmly converted from the spot to level the score at 1-1.

Super substitute Gonçalo Ramos then delivered a dramatic winner deep into stoppage time, arriving just 13 minutes after Ronaldo had been substituted for Ruben Neves—a change that left the veteran forward visibly frustrated.

Croatia thought they had forced extra time when Josko Gvardiol found the net, but the effort was disallowed after Mario Pasalic was controversially ruled offside. The decision ensured Portugal’s progression to the round of 16.

Incredibly, Ronaldo’s equaliser marked his first-ever goal in the World Cup knockout stages, coming after 20 years and six tournaments of trying.

Equally surprising was that his successful penalty represented his only touch inside the opposition penalty area throughout the match, highlighting how limited his impact has become as a striker at the age of 41.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid icon will have at least one more chance to add to his tally of 11 World Cup goals when Portugal face Spain in Arlington on Monday—potentially his final appearance in international football.