Goa, July 3 -- Portugal secured a dramatic victory over Croatia to book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals after a thrilling contest that ended with late controversy and high drama.

Croatia believed they had snatched an equaliser in the closing moments when Josko Gvardiol found the back of the net. However, the goal was ruled out for offside, leaving the Croatian players and fans devastated while Portugal celebrated a hard-fought win.

Cristiano Ronaldo played a pivotal role in Portugal's success by calmly converting a penalty to cancel out Ivan Perisic's second-half opener. The strike marked Ronaldo's first goal in the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup, extending his remarkable international career as Portugal advanced to fac...