Cristiano Ronaldo, who became the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout game, described Portugal's tribute to the late Diogo Jota as "a special moment" after his side secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia to reach the last 16 on Friday.
The emotional scenes came on the first anniversary of Jota's death, with Ronaldo pulling on a Portugal shirt bearing the No. 21 after the final whistle before holding it aloft alongside his teammates in honour of the former Liverpool forward.
"We knew it before the game. It was a special moment," Ronaldo said after the match.
"We speak today, our group, about that, the coincidence of life, it's unbelievable. I was amazed because of the situation today. It means a lot to us, not only because we won the game, but also the way we won the game. It was a difficult game, we knew it."
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez also said the victory had special meaning.
"For Portuguese fans, this is a very happy day, and also because of the meaning of the game, we've moved to the next phase, to the round of 16. In a year where we honored Diogo Jota," Martinez said.
Jota and his brother Andre Silva were killed when their car crashed as the Liverpool player drove through Spain on July 3 last year on his way back to report for pre-season training in England.
Earlier in the tournament, a black and white picture of Jota was shown on the giant screen at the stadium in Houston before Portugal's first game against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Portugal's tribute to Jota was on a memorable night in Toronto, where they advanced after a dramatic contest filled with late twists.
Croatia took the lead through Ivan Perisic in the 53rd minute before Ronaldo hauled Portugal level from the penalty spot 15 minutes later, calmly converting after a VAR review awarded Portugal a spot-kick.
The goal carried extra significance for Ronaldo, making him the oldest player ever (41 years and 147 days) to score in a World Cup knockout match while also ending his long wait for a first goal in the knockout stages of the tournament.
The drama, however, was far from over.
Substitute Goncalo Ramos headed Portugal in front in the fourth minute of stoppage time, only for Croatia to think they had rescued extra time when Josko Gvardiol found the net moments later. Their celebrations were cut short after a lengthy VAR review ruled the goal out for offside, sealing Portugal's passage into the last 16.
The victory also extended Ronaldo's remarkable World Cup journey by at least one more game, with Portugal now set to face Spain in Dallas on Tuesday for a place in the quarterfinals.
