Portugal and Croatia meet for the first time at the FIFA World Cup, with evergreen captains Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric sharing the spotlight.
Round of 32
Friday, 3 July | Toronto Stadium
Kick-off time
07:00 (GMT+8)
The match
Portugal and Croatia lock horns for the first time at the FIFA World Cup™, with a place in the Round of 16 awaiting the winners in Toronto. Portugal reached the knockout stage after finishing second in Group K, drawing with Congo DR and Colombia either side of a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan. Croatia, runners-up at the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, also progressed after recovering from an opening defeat against England to record Group L victories over Panama and Ghana.
The contest between two of Europe’s leading football nations provides plenty of compelling subplots, not least a potential final meeting between two of the game’s greats. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and Croatia skipper Luka Modric spent six seasons together at Real Madrid, winning four UEFA Champions League titles, and both veterans remain central figures for their respective teams, with Ronaldo scoring twice against Uzbekistan and Modric marking his 201st game for Croatia with a vital assist against Ghana.
Although Portugal and Croatia have never met at the World Cup before, they have shared memorable encounters at the UEFA European Championship. Luis Figo scored as Portugal claimed a 3-0 group-stage victory at UEFA EURO 1996, before Ronaldo and Modric both featured in a EURO 2016 Round of 16 duel in which Ricardo Quaresma’s extra-time winner sent Portugal through. Their most recent meeting came in the UEFA Nations League in November 2024, when Josko Gvardiol cancelled out Joao Felix’s opener in a 1-1 draw.
The winners will face either Spain or Austria in the Round of 16 on 6 July at Dallas Stadium.
Portugal possible starting XI
Diogo Costa; Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha; Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix; Cristiano Ronaldo
Croatia possible starting XI
Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Perisic; Kovacic, Modric; Sucic, Vlasic, Baturina; Budimir
What they said…
“The guys here are calm. Drawing two matches doesn’t mean we’ve lost confidence or that people should start doubting us. People just need to stay calm, just as we are calm and prepared for the match against Croatia. We’re very confident that we’re going to win and we’ll do everything to get through to the next round. We’re used to watching them play. We’ve played against them countless times so we know their strengths and weaknesses well and now it’s about analysing that and making the most of it.” Joao Felix, Portugal forward
“I think we’re back to where we were eight years ago. But that’s again a small step to achieve the first objective, to go to the knockout stage. This national team deserves better [than to be criticised] because we had so many fans rooting for Croatia. Even when losing or winning, they should be loved because of everything they have done for the people and for the country. This needs to be appreciated and not go against it the moment they lose.” Zlatko Dalic, Croatia coach
“Tomorrow, we have to improve and we know how we can achieve that. Our last match was not as we wanted it to be. We cannot afford any more mistakes. We have to show that we deserve the next round. I quite understand the criticism and questions about our performances lately and am grateful that the fans are still supporting us. It is a great pleasure to see such a big Portuguese community here and they give us extra motivation.” Vitinha, Portugal midfielder
“We’ve just finished the first World Cup and now we’re beginning the second World Cup. Only once that one is over can we give a final assessment. What matters is what we did in difficult situations [against Colombia]: defending the final third, showing a lot of defensive intensity and resilience, and keeping a clean sheet. We know Croatia very well, it will be a different game and we’re well prepared. What I can promise the Portuguese people is attitude, effort and all the values of the Portuguese people that are there in the dressing room, ready to begin a new path tomorrow.” Roberto Martínez, Portugal coach
Toronto Stadium
Toronto Stadium was purpose-built ahead of Canada hosting the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2007™. The venue, which has an English Premier League-style roof canopy and steep stands on either end of the ground, was the venue for Canada’s opening World Cup 2026 fixture on Friday, 12 June, and hosted four further group games including Ghana’s late victory over Panama, Germany’s equally dramatic win against Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal’s 5-0 humbling of Iraq. Croatia have already played here once, too beating Panama on their way to a second-placed finish in Group L.