Portugal and Croatia will face each other for the first time at the FIFA World Cup 2026, competing for a place in the Round of 16 in Toronto. Portugal qualified for the knockout stage after finishing second in Group K, drawing with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia, and securing a resounding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan.
Croatia, the 2018 World Cup runners-up, also advanced to the round of 32 with a strong run, losing 4-2 to England in their opening match, but then winning against Panama and Ghana in Group L. The clash between two of Europe's leading football nations promises to be highly exciting, starting with their two top leaders.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and Croatia captain Luka Modric spent six seasons together at Real Madrid, winning four UEFA Champions League titles. These two veterans remain key figures in their respective national teams, with Ronaldo scoring two goals against Uzbekistan and Modric marking his 201st appearance for Croatia with a crucial assist against Ghana at the 2026 World Cup.
Although Portugal and Croatia have never met in a World Cup before, they have had memorable encounters in the UEFA European Championship. Luis Figo scored to give Portugal a 3-0 victory in the group stage of UEFA EURO 1996, before Ronaldo and Modric featured together in the Round of 16 match of EURO 2016, a game in which Ricardo Quaresma's winning goal in extra time secured Portugal's progression.
Their most recent encounter was in the UEFA Nations League in November 2024, when Josko Gvardiol equalized 1-1 after Joao Felix's opening goal.
The winning team will face either Spain or Austria in the round of 16 on July 6th at Dallas Stadium.
Portugal's expected lineup: Diogo Costa; Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha; Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix; Cristiano Ronaldo
Croatia's expected lineup: Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Perisic; Kovacic, Modric; Sucic, Vlasic, Baturina; Budimir
The Toronto Stadium was built when Canada hosted the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. It hosted Canada's opening 2026 World Cup match against Bosnia, and has since hosted four other group stage matches, including Ghana's late victory over Panama, Germany's dramatic win over Ivory Coast, and Senegal's 5-0 win over Iraq.
Croatia has also played here once before, defeating Panama en route to securing second place in Group L.
