Portugal and Croatia met in the World Cup 2026 round of 32 at Toronto Stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The match saw both sides vying for a spot in the last 16, with the winner set to face either Spain or Austria. This fixture was notable as it could mark the final World Cup appearance for two veteran players, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Luka Modric of Croatia, both over 40 years old.
The game was tightly contested, with several key moments defining the latter stages. In the 75th minute, Croatia’s Mateo Kovacic made a strong run and took a shot from 22 yards out. Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa managed to get a fingertip to the ball, deflecting it off the post. The rebound fell back to Kovacic, whose second attempt was again saved by Costa, who punched it over the bar for a corner.
Just two minutes later, Costa was called into action again, making a crucial save against Matanovic, who had pounced on an aerial clearance and was one-on-one with the keeper from a tight angle. Croatia then enjoyed a period of sustained possession, indicating a shift in momentum.
Key Moments and Substitutions
In the 80th minute, Sucic found the net for Croatia after receiving a pass from Kovacic, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside call. Reports suggested it was a close decision, but ultimately the correct one. Shortly after, in the 81st minute, Ronaldo was substituted, with Ruben Neves coming on for Portugal. This change came as Portugal appeared to be too open in midfield. Ronaldo, who had played every minute of the group stages, showed visible disappointment upon leaving the pitch.
Portugal had struggled to maintain possession in the second half, a contrast to their first-half performance. In the 85th minute, Croatia pressed deep, but Portugal managed to work the ball into their half. Nuno Mendes delivered a cross for Francisco Conceição, though the play did not result in a clear chance. Conceição later won a corner off Ivan Perisic, which Mendes took, finding Gonçalo Veiga whose header went wide.
The 88th minute saw another opportunity for Croatia when Sucic crossed the ball, and Mario Pašalić headed it across the goalmouth, but it went wide of the far post. The match was tied 1-1, with Perisic having opened the scoring for Croatia, which was then cancelled out by Ronaldo’s penalty kick.
Team Performance and Player Milestones
Portugal entered the round of 32 as runners-up in Group H with five points, securing one win and two draws in the group stage. Their campaign included a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan, but they failed to beat the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia. Ronaldo had scored twice against Uzbekistan, becoming the first player to score in six World Cups.
Croatia, runners-up in Group L with six points, demonstrated resilience after an initial 4-2 defeat to England. They bounced back with a 1-0 win over Panama and a 2-1 victory against Ghana. Modric, at 40, became the fourth man to reach 200 international appearances, joining Ronaldo in this achievement. He also provided an assist for Nikola Vlasic’s winner against Ghana.
This match marked a historic occasion as it was the first time two outfield players over the age of 40, Ronaldo and Modric, faced each other in a World Cup. Before this tournament, only Cameroon’s Roger Milla had played in a World Cup as an outfield player after turning 40. The two nations have met 10 times previously, with Portugal winning seven, Croatia one, and two matches ending in draws.
The most recent encounter before this World Cup fixture was a 1-1 draw in the Nations League in November 2024. Portugal had no reported injury concerns, with a predicted starting XI including Diogo Costa in goal, João Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Gonçalo Veiga, and Nuno Mendes in defence. The midfield was expected to feature Vitinha and João Neves, with Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, and João Félix supporting Ronaldo in attack.
Croatia also reported a clean bill of health, with their predicted starting lineup featuring Dominik Livaković in goal, Josip Stanišić, Josip Šutalo, Marin Pongračić, and Joško Gvardiol in defence. The midfield was anticipated to be composed of Martin Baturina, Luka Modric, and Mateo Kovacic, while Luka Sučić, Ante Budimir, and Ivan Perišić were expected to lead the attack. The match was scheduled for Thursday at 7pm (23:00 GMT).
Source: theguardian.com