Croatia finally broke through in the 56th minute, and Stanisic drove the ball into the net to put Portugal under pressure in their World Cup 2026 last 32 meeting. The goal came after Croatia worked down the right, and it arrived while Portugal were still reeling from the shock.
That mattered because the match had already been tight and nervy, with chances at both ends before the deadlock was broken. Perisic, described as a sprightly 37 years old, was part of a Croatia side that had been waiting for one moment to stick after a Vlasic finish had already been ruled offside in the same minute.
By then, the game had been asking for a clean finish. Croatia had seen Kovacic’s effort well saved in the 48th minute, then Sucic test the keeper again with a shot that was turned out for a corner in the 59th. Portugal had their own warning too, with Leão striking the bar in the 58th minute, a reminder that the game could still turn in a hurry.
The friction in the story was that Croatia had already had the ball in the net once before Stanisic’s goal, only for Vlasic’s finish to be ruled offside. That meant the breakthrough was not just about getting ahead; it was about finally getting a goal to count in a match where margins had already been shaved away by the line and by the post.
What happens next is the part that decides the afternoon, and the excerpt does not settle it. Croatia had the lead after Stanisic scored, but Portugal still had time, territory and enough attacking threat to force a response in a knockout game that had already moved from cautious to combustible.
