Rafael Leão dropped to his knees. His cross had just been flicked into the net by Gonçalo Ramos to take Portugal to the last 16 of the World Cup. Leão’s expression was not one of delight, but relief.

Billed as the last dance for two footballing icons, it was Luka Modric who, at the age of 40, had to leave what will surely be his final World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, plays on, and scored and was even substituted in a match of endless action. But this was a contest about more than two individuals, who were far from the most influential players on show, even if Ronaldo was bewilderingly named player of the match. Instead this was an old-fashioned World Cup battle between hardened teams, with momentum swinging first one way then the other then back again. It was also a match stuffed with incident, including – for the first time in World Cup history – four disallowed goals, one of them denying Croatia an equaliser in the very last second of the match.

After a sweltering day in Toronto, the evening brought welcome cool and the atmosphere inside the stadium was voluble throughout. The first half was largely dominated by Portugal, who should surely have taken a lead into the break. Their first chance came eight minutes in when Leão barrelled his way down the left and cut back low to Bruno Fernandes, who got off two shots: the first saved well by Dominik Livakovic, the second blocked by an onrushing defence.