Ronaldo missed a penalty, Portugal still won the ticket to the next round

Goal: Quaresma 45' - Ansarifard penalty 90'+3

Ronaldo missed a penalty but the Portuguese captain was not the main character of the match, but the video assistant referee (VAR). Referee Enrique Caceres made three decisions based on VAR that could have completely changed the fate of the two teams.

The first VAR situation gave Portugal a chance to finish off their opponents early, but Ronaldo could not beat goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand when the score was 1-0. In the second situation, the Portuguese captain continued to be present but this time he had to thank the referee for being lenient with a yellow card for elbowing Morteza Pouraliganji in the face.

However, Portuguese fans saw their team go from top of the group to the risk of being sent home early after the third VAR situation. The referee determined that the ball had touched Cedric Soares' hand in the 16m50 box and awarded Iran a penalty when the second half had entered extra time. Karim Ansarifard equalized for the Asian representative and Iran only needed one more goal to advance, and eliminate Portugal.

The miracle almost came true but Mehdi Taremi's kick wide in a one-on-one with Rui Patricio ended Iran's hopes. The Asian team fought until the last second and could only manage a draw, not enough to secure a ticket to the next round as Spain drew 2-2 with Morocco in the same match.

Portugal had veteran Ricardo Quaresma to thank for his superb goal with the outside of his foot late in the first half. The winger, who was given a starting spot in the final game by Santos, scored a fine goal to send the reigning European champions into the last 16.

Portugal's next opponents will be Uruguay, while Spain will face hosts Russia. The Spanish team continuously fell behind Morocco and had to rely on Iago Aspas's goal in the second half to escape defeat. This result put Spain at the top, with the same five points as Portugal but with a better goal difference.

Mehdi Taremi almost sent Portugal home if he hadn't hit the side of the net. Photo:FIFA

Iran kept Portugal in trouble for most of the game with their well-organized play. Coach Carlos Queiroz had plenty of experience against his former players, helping him block the way into Iran's goal. In addition to their solid defense, Iran also launched dangerous counter-attacks that could make their opponents regret.

Ronaldo was still the standout individual for Portugal. The 33-year-old striker had a chance to open the scoring in the third minute but shot straight at the goalkeeper. In the second half, Ronaldo won a penalty but became the fifth player to miss at the 2018 World Cup, missing the chance to equal Harry Kane's record of five goals.

Ronaldo missed the chance to score six consecutive goals for the national team at the World Cup. Photo:FIFA

Iran played very well in the second half, defending solidly and counter-attacking dangerously. In such a situation, Ronaldo could not keep his cool and elbowed Pouraliganji even though the ball was on Iran's side. This deserved a red card for the Portuguese captain, but fortunately the referee only gave him a yellow card after using VAR.

Entering the next round with a full squad, Portugal is still a potential candidate, although they face a huge challenge from Uruguay. The South American team has not conceded a goal since the group stage and has just crushed the hosts Russia with a score of 3-0. This match will take place on July 1.