As the World Cup knockout stage gets underway, we break down the probable lineups, key statistics, and broadcast information for the Round of 16 fixture between Portugal and Croatia.
This will be the first-ever World Cup meeting between the two nations. Historically, their head-to-head record clearly favors the Portuguese side.
Portugal has yet to silence the doubters surrounding their performance. Despite a star-studded roster, the team has struggled to reach the heights that fans would expect of such talented players.
An opening draw against Congo raised eyebrows, with much of the focus on Cristiano Ronaldo. While a subsequent match against Uzbekistan seemed to offer a chance for redemption, their clash with Colombia highlighted that Roberto Martínez's squad still needs significant adjustments to function as expected.
Meanwhile, Croatia endured a difficult start to their World Cup campaign, suffering a heavy 4-2 defeat to Thomas Tuchel's England. They did however managed to secure narrow, hard-fought victories against Panama and Ghana to advance.
A major question mark for Zlatko Dalić's team is how long their veteran stars, particularly Luka Modrić, can carry the load, as maintaining a competitive pace for a full 90 minutes may prove challenging.
Portugal vs. Croatia Key Statistics
Throughout the group stage, Portugal has maintained an average of 62% possession, compared to Croatia's 53%.
Both teams have similar goal-scoring records, with Portugal averaging 2.0 goals per game and Croatia 1.7. However, the defensive stats tell a different story: Portugal has conceded just 0.3 goals per match, while Croatia has let in 1.7.
The Portuguese side has also demonstrated greater precision in their build-up play, completing 91% of their 563 attempted passes. In contrast, Croatia has an 87% pass completion rate from 430 attempts.
Portugal vs. Croatia Lineup Predictions
Portugal: Costa; Dias, Veiga, Cancelo, Mendes; Fernandes, Neves, Vitinha; Ronaldo, Félix, Neto.
Manager: Roberto Martínez.
Croatia: Livaković; Stanišić, Pongračić, Šutalo; Kovačić, Modrić, Vlašić, Baturina, Sučić; Budimir, Perišić.
Manager: Zlatko Dalić.
Neither team has reported any injuries or suspensions ahead of the match.
Portugal vs. Croatia Head to Head History
Portugal has won three of the five meeting with Croatia dating back to 2005. The teams each won one game against each other in 2024.
05/09/2024: Portugal 2-1 Croatia
08/06/2024: Portugal 1-2 Croatia
05/09/2020: Portugal 4-1 Croatia
06/09/2018: Portugal 1-1 Croatia
12/11/2005: Portugal 2-0 Croatia
How to Watch Portugal vs. Croatia
The 2026 World Cup match between Portugal and Croatia will be played on Thursday, July 2, at the Toronto Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET (6:00 PM CT / 5:00 PM MT / 4:00 PM PT).
The match will be broadcast on FS1 and Telemundo for fans in the United States. It can be streamed on Fubo, YouTube TV, and FOX Sports.
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