Martinez Finally Finds His Backbone as Ronaldo Breaks World Cup Knockout Duck

Portugal have done it. In Toronto, they've managed two things: secured their passage to the World Cup last 16, and—perhaps more significantly for the narrative—handed Cristiano Ronaldo his first-ever knockout-stage goal in this competition.

The victory over Croatia proved thrilling, dramatic, and sufficiently contentious to keep the debate going for weeks. Next up: Spain in Dallas, a fixture that promises plenty.

For Roberto Martinez, it's genuinely unclear which achievement will sit highest in his mind. But one thing's certain: the Portugal manager finally showed some mettle by withdrawing Ronaldo, even if the timing required a penalty to make it palatable.

The Ronaldo Paradox

Ronaldo's opening 60 minutes were, charitably, underwhelming. When Martinez wielded the axe with four substitutions while Croatia held the lead at the hour mark, the 41-year-old somehow escaped the chop. Even he seemed to know he was living on borrowed time.

Before his breakthrough, Ronaldo had managed precious little of note. His first touch in the Croatian box arrived late in the first half, followed by a second that found the net—only for the offside flag to intervene on both occasions. He drifted aimlessly, dropping deep to collect possession, occasionally wandering to the left where he appeared to smother the ball rather than unlock it, much to Rafael Leao's visible frustration.

Then came the penalty. Martinez's patience was rewarded, Ronaldo made good on his opportunity, and suddenly the narrative shifted. Shot number 30 in World Cup knockout football had finally found the target.

Yet Martinez wasn't about to let sentiment cloud his judgment. In the 81st minute, he hauled Ronaldo off. The substitution clearly rankled—Ronaldo's expression suggested he'd expected to remain on the pitch when the fourth official's board went up.

The Dilemma Deepens

Does the Portugal boss start Ronaldo against Spain? Theoretically, yes. Practically, Goncalo Ramos's 93rd-minute header—arriving from a Leao cross of precisely the kind Ronaldo failed to convert—has handed Martinez a genuine selection headache.

Whether Ramos's winner should have stood remains contentious. The officials deemed it legitimate. Most observers would struggle to agree that Igor Mantanovic's hair made contact with that 104th-minute cross, rendering Mario Pasalic offside before Josko Gvardiol's bundled finish. It was scrappy, it was fortuitous, and it felt undeserved.

Croatia's Late Flourish

Croatia's second-half improvement owed much to Mantanovic's introduction at the break. Where Ante Budimir had been workmanlike, the Freiburg centre-forward's physical presence gave the Croats a different dimension from set-pieces, particularly those delivered by the rejuvenated Ivan Perisic. Meanwhile, when Portugal pushed bodies wide, Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic found space through the middle.

Diogo Costa kept Kovacic out twice—the second save a genuine stunner—while Modric, despite his years, remained the most influential of the 40-plus contingent on display.

The End of an Era

Modric, it seems, departs in Toronto. Ronaldo, barring a last-minute change of heart from Martinez, gets one final tilt at glory against Spain's miserly defence. Whether the Portugal manager possesses the conviction to make the harder call remains to be seen.