From The Sports Desk: Portugal advances, Croatia sent packing after dramatic finish - BERITAJA

Portugal precocious aft edging retired Croatia 2-1 successful a hard-fought match, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s squad will now look European champion Spain connected Monday.

The spotlight now shifts to Lionel Messi‘s Argentina, which coming is looking to bring an extremity to Cape Verde’s singular World Cup run. Our Beritaja squad will beryllium live-blogging the game, truthful travel subordinate us!

World Cup Recap

Portugal precocious to the information of 16 aft a chaotic 2-1 triumph against Croatia yesterday successful Toronto.

The crippled was tied 0-0 aft a beautiful uneventful first half, but the 2nd half much than made up for it. Croatia struck first, pinch Ivan Perišić scoring successful the 53rd minute.

Soon after, Portugal drew a punishment footwear disconnected a area and Ronaldo coolly sent successful a goal, the first clip he’s scored successful a World Cup knockout round.

The crippled remained tied into stoppage clip and seemed destined for other clip until Portugal sent a transverse into the container and Gonçalo Ramos headed successful the go-ahead extremity successful the 94th minute.

Croatia’s Josko Gvardiol nearly scored an equalizer about 13 minutes into added time, but the extremity was taken distant for an offside telephone via replay review. This about apt marked the past World Cup crippled for Croatia fable Luka Modrić, 40, while Portugal’s prima Ronaldo survived to play different game.

Mateo Kovacic is consoled by Luka Modric of Croatia aft a 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Portugal astatine Toronto Stadium connected July 2, 2026.Patrick Smith / FIFA via Getty Images

Portugal will now play European champion Spain successful a star-studded conflict successful Dallas connected Monday. The victor of that necktie will look either the United States aliases Belgium successful a quarterfinal connected July 10.

In yesterday’s different games, 1 of the tourney favorites, Spain, eased past Austria 3-0 while Switzerland won its first knockout crippled since 1938 erstwhile it hit Algeria 2-0.

World Cup Preview

Argentina’s World Cup conflict pinch Cape Verde successful Miami has each the hallmarks of a David-vs.-Goliath title — though this is 1 communicative that’s improbable to extremity successful a fairy-tale upset.

Led by surviving fable Messi, Argentina is the defending World Cup champion and has lifted soccer’s biggest prize 3 times.

Cape Verde, by contrast, is classed 64th successful the world by FIFA, has a 40-year-old goalkeeper and is the only squad to scope the information of 32 without winning a match. Cape Verde precocious aft signaling a tie successful each 3 group games, while Argentina (ranked 2nd by FIFA) won each 3 of its matches, pinch Messi playing a starring role.

Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina celebrates scoring his team's 3rd extremity during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group J lucifer betwixt Jordan and Argentina astatine Dallas Stadium connected June 27, 2026 successful Arlington, Texas. Ryan Pierse / FIFA via Getty Images

But Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni urged his squad not to underestimate its opponent.

“We are not surprised, to beryllium honest,” Scaloni said. “They are a bully team. And they are not present by chance. We must respect them. And that’s what we will do.”

If Argentina does progress, it will meet the victor of different of today’s contests, Australia vs. Egypt, played successful Dallas.

What We’re Watching

World Cup! All the games are connected Telemundo and Peacock, and each times are Eastern:

• 2 p.m.: Australia vs. Egypt
• 6 p.m.: Argentina vs. Cape Verde
• 9:30 p.m.: Colombia vs. Ghana

That’s it for now! We’ll beryllium backmost Monday.