Why did Cristiano Ronaldo wear Portugal’s No. 21 jersey and get emotional after the win over Croatia?

Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to an impressive late comeback, defeating Croatia 2-1 to secure their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

Beyond being a crucial match to keep Portugal‘s hopes alive of winning their first title, the game carried extra significance, coming just a day before the one-year anniversary of Diogo Jota’s passing.

That’s why, after securing the win in stoppage time, Portugal’s players made their way to their fans to celebrate the victory, with Ronaldo putting on the No. 21 jersey in honor of his former national team teammate.

Ronaldo finally breaks his knockout-stage drought

The comeback was set up by a milestone Ronaldo had been chasing for nearly two decades. With Portugal trailing 1-0 in the second half, a VAR review overturned a missed foul, awarding a penalty after Marin Pongracic brought down Renato Veiga inside the box.

Ronaldo stepped up and converted, leveling the score at 1-1 and scoring his first-ever goal in a World Cup knockout match, after going scoreless across his first seven elimination games.

The goal also made him the oldest player to ever score in a World Cup knockout-stage match, at 41 years and 147 days old, and moved him into the top 10 goal-scorers in World Cup history with 11 tallies.

Portugal’s next rival

Portugal will face Spain in the Round of 16, with the match set for Monday, July 6, at Dallas Stadium. Lamine Yamal’s team reached the round with a comfortable 3-0 win over Austria, powered by a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal.