Cristiano Ronaldo, ranked among the world’s greatest footballers, has added another jewel to his crown. On Thursday, Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 in a thrilling ‘Round of 32’ match. During the game, Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest player to score a goal in the history of the FIFA World Cup knockout stage. At the age of 41 years and 147 days, the Portuguese captain etched his name in the record books by converting a penalty into a goal in the second half.

Surpassed Lionel Messi

Prior to this match, the record for the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout round belonged to Lionel Messi. Ronaldo has now surpassed him, though there is no guarantee how long this record will stand, as Messi is also giving his all for Argentina. This was also Ronaldo’s first-ever goal in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage, making the achievement even more special.

Portugal Advances to Round of 16; Croatia Eliminated

Gonçalo Ramos scored with a header off a pass from Rafael Leão during stoppage time in the second half, while Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty kick; these efforts allowed Portugal to stage a comeback after trailing and defeat Croatia 2-1, securing their spot in the World Cup Round of 16. This victory for Portugal also marked the end of Croatian star Luka Modrić’s fifth World Cup campaign.