Portugal and Croatia will battle for a place in the last 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup when they meet at BMO Field in Toronto on Friday in one of the standout ties of the round of 32.
Portugal reached the knockout stage as Group K runners-up after collecting five points from three matches. Their campaign began with a frustrating 1-1 draw against DR Congo before they responded with a dominant 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan, inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace.
Croatia have once again shown their resilience on the world stage. After opening with a 4-2 defeat to England, Zlatko Dalic’s side bounced back impressively by defeating Panama 1-0 before edging Ghana 2-1 to finish second in Group L.
The Vatreni have built a reputation as one of the competition’s most reliable knockout teams after reaching the 2018 final and finishing third in Qatar four years later. However, history favours Portugal, who have won seven of the previous 10 meetings between the nations, including their memorable Euro 2016 knockout victory before lifting the trophy.
Another closely fought contest is expected between two experienced European heavyweights chasing World Cup glory.
Team News
Portugal have no fresh injury concerns following the draw with Colombia. Joao Neves is expected to return to the starting XI, while Cristiano Ronaldo continues to lead the attack. Bruno Fernandes will operate behind the striker, with Vitinha anchoring midfield.
Croatia also have a fully fit squad available. Josko Gvardiol is expected to return at left-back, allowing Ivan Perisic to move into a more advanced role. Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Petar Sucic should form the midfield trio, while Nikola Vlasic is pushing for a starting place after scoring the winner against Ghana.
Possible Lineups
Portugal possible starting lineup:
Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Vitinha, Joao Neves; Neto, Fernandes, Felix; Ronaldo
Croatia possible starting lineup:
Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Gvardiol; Sucic, Modric, Kovacic; Baturina, Budimir, Perisic
How to Watch
| Platform | Details |
|---|---|
| TV Broadcast | SuperSport |
| Live Stream | DSTV stream |
| Kick-off Time | 00:00 (WAT) |
Match Prediction
Softfootball predicts Portugal 2-1 Croatia
