Toronto, July 3 -- Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo said the team wanted to honour their late teammate Diogo Jota "in the best way" after the side secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in the Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Thursday (local time), sealing qualification for the Round of 16.

Notably, July 3 marks the first anniversary of Jota's passing. Jota and his brother Andre Silva lost their lives in a car crash in northwestern Spain in 2025, after their Lamborghini left the road and caught fire. The tragedy sent shockwaves across the footballing world, with clubs, teammates, supporters and football associations paying tribute to the Portugal international following his untimely demise.

In a video posted by ESPN Neth...