Portugal vs Croatia | FIFA World Cup 2026 — Round of 32 | Preview and Prediction

Portugal will clash with a feisty Croatia in their Round of 32 fixture on 3rd July at the Toronto Stadium in Canada. Former Real Madrid team mates Cristiano Ronaldo and Luca Modri? will lead their nations in this knockout battle between two European heavyweights. 

For the game, here we present our preview and prediction.

FIFA WC26 | Ro32: POR vs CRO | 04:30 IST, July 3, 2026

Portugal has had a mixed kind of World Cup so far. Even with a strong squad, they haven’t really clicked into gear yet. With two draws and a big win against Uzbekistan, Portugal managed to secure qualification. However, there are still question marks over their performances against the big teams. Their over-reliance on an ageing Ronaldo for goals is a massive problem that they haven’t been able to solve. 

As for their opponents, Croatia began their World Cup campaign with a huge 4-2 defeat against England. They fought to comeback twice in the first half, keeping the scoreline 2-2 but thereafter let England come back into the game and run away with it. Their other two games were crucial wins against Panama and Ghana, which helped them book their place in the Round of 32. 

Injury-wise, both teams haven’t been hit by injuries and will have their complete squad at their disposal. 

Croatia was the finalist in the 2018 World Cup and a semi-finalist in the 2022 World Cup, having over-achieved with a relatively limited squad. All their key players from those editions are no more in their prime and have slowed down considerably. Despite their limitations, Croatia has still qualified for the knockouts. 

Portugal has been unbeaten throughout the group stage, which is a positive sign for them. However, they need to step up now with the knockout stages coming up. Croatia is a resilient side who don’t give up and can definitely threaten them with Ante Budimir and Petar Sucic leading the line. Bruno Fernandes and Vitinha will be key for Portugal in this game. 

We believe this could be another intense affair with none of the teams wanting to spare an inch as that could spell trouble for either of them. On paper, Portugal has the stronger squad and with Ronaldo possibly playing his last World Cup, they would be desperate to win it for him. Our prediction for this game is a narrow Portugal win. 

Score Prediction: Portugal 2–1 Croatia
Venue: Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada