We cannot be sure what to expect when Portugal and Croatia take to the field to battle it out in their 2026 FIFA World Cup round of 32 knockout clash early Friday morning in Toronto.
Portugal went unbeaten in the group stages but could only manage a second place finish in Group K behind Colombia. A 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan is their only win in the competition so far.
They face a Croatia side who also finished second in Group L, after an opening day defeat to England and back-to-back wins against Ghana and Panama. They have also scored in every match they have played in the tournament.
Portugal have been talked about as favorites to win their first ever World Cup title, but have not been very convincing thus far. Roberto Martinez’ side, who dropped points in draws against Congo and Colombia, will need to up their game here to avoid an early exit.
Portugal’s best ever record at the World Cup came back in 1966 when they finished in third place. They were knocked out of the quarterfinals in the 2022 edition, losing 1-0 to 10-man Morocco.
They are up against a Croatia side who finished in third place at the Qatar 2022 edition of the World Cup.
Croatia also made it to the 2018 World Cup final where they lost to eventual winners France. Their recent impressive displays at the global showpiece has made them a force to reckon with and something that Portugal will have to be wary about.
Cristiano Ronaldo bagged a brace against Uzbekistan and the nation will hope he can find some magic at this knockout phase. The 41-year-old star became the first person to score at six different World Cups.
Can he inspire his side to a crucial victory on the road to a first potential title chase, or can Croatia shut him out to make it to yet another round of 16 clash? Here is our detailed preview of the game as well as our predicted outcome.
What time does Portugal vs Croatia start?
The match kicks off at 2AM E.A.T at the BMO Field
Portugal vs Croatia team news
Joao Cancelo suffered a minor knock against Colombia and in the event he is not cleared to start, his spot will be filled by Diogo Dalot. That is the only change expected to be made by coach Martinez.
Joao Neves was taken off at halftime but is expected to retain his spot in the starting XI, alongside Vitinha in midfield.
Ronaldo played the entire 90 but will lead his nation out, in what could be his final match ever at a World Cup. He will be the focal point in their attack with support from Joao Felix and Pedro Neto on the flanks.
The Croatia side also has a few veterans who could be featuring for the last time, such as Luka Modric, who has been involved in two goals at the 2026 World Cup. The 40-year old will play in midfield alongside Matteo Kovacic.
Nikola Vlasic and Ante Budimir have both scored in the tournament and will start up front here as well.
Ivan Perisic is expected to come back into the starting XI after missing out the last match, meaning Como’s Martin Baturina will have to settle for a place on the bench.
Portugal vs Croatia head-to-head and current form
Portugal are now unbeaten in eight matches – winning five and drawing the remaining three. They have also been defensively resolute in that run, letting in just four goals.
Croatia have not drawn a single match since October 2025, winning three of their last five matches and losing twice. This will be a third successive win if they can grind out a victory here.
The last time these sides met was in the UEFA Nations League in 2024, the final result being a 1-1 draw. Croatia have only beaten Portugal once in their last five times of asking.
Current form:
Portugal – DWDWW
Croatia – WWLWL
Portugal vs Croatia previous games
- Croatia 1-1 Portugal (November 18, 2024)
- Portugal 2-1 Croatia (September 5, 2024)
- Portugal 1-2 Croatia (June 8, 2024)
- Croatia 2-3 Portugal (November 17, 2020)
- Portugal 4-1 Croatia (September 5, 2020)
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Portugal vs Croatia prediction
Both sides do have enough attacking quality to create chances, however, Portugal have a slight advantage with the names on their lineup.
Both defenses have been very solid and neither side concedes plenty of goals, this could make for a cagey encounter – especially with it being a knockout fixture.
It is possible that this game could be decided after 90 minutes.
Prediction – Portugal to win or draw (1X) – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!