Two of the most decorated club teammates in football history are about to become opponents in a World Cup knockout tie. Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric spent six seasons together at Real Madrid, winning four Champions Leagues side by side, and now, in their late twenties… no, their early forties, they meet across the touchline in Toronto with a place in the last 16 on the line. Portugal and Croatia have never actually played each other at a World Cup before, which only sharpens the occasion. Below you will find the kick-off time where you are, how to watch, the likely lineups and who we fancy to go through.
Kickoff is 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, July 2 / midnight BST early Friday at BMO Field in Toronto. In the US it is on Fox and Telemundo. In Britain it is free on BBC One, with build-up from 11:30pm.
Where to Watch Portugal vs Croatia
Free on BBC One in the UK. In the US it is on Fox and Telemundo.
Quick tip: in the UK this is free on BBC One and iPlayer, with build-up from 11:30pm ahead of the midnight kick-off. Our guide to watching the World Cup in the UK has every channel and time. In the US it is on Fox with Telemundo in Spanish, plus Fubo and YouTube TV. Canadian viewers, this one is on home soil, can catch it on CTV, TSN and RDS.
Portugal vs Croatia TV Channel and Live Stream
USA UK
Canada Portugal Croatia
IndiaWhat Time Is Portugal vs Croatia in Your City?
Toronto (ET, local)
Chicago (CT)Los Angeles (PT)
Lisbon (WEST)
Zagreb (CEST)
London (BST)
Dubai (GST)
New Delhi (IST)
Sydney (AEST)
Doha (AST)When Does It Kick Off Where You Are?
Pick your country and we will do the maths.
The Road to the Round of 32
Portugal finished second in Group K behind Colombia. Croatia finished second in Group L behind England, one point back. Every final table is in our World Cup 2026 groups guide.
PortugalCroatiaThe winner advances to the Round of 16 to face the winner of Spain vs Austria. If level after 90 minutes, the tie goes to extra time and, if needed, penalties.
One Stat Ronaldo Would Love to Erase
For all his records, and there are a lot of them, Cristiano Ronaldo carries one number into Toronto that must nag at him. In his sixth World Cup, a joint-record 25 appearances, he has never scored, nor set up a goal, in a World Cup knockout match. Not once. He looked sharp enough with a brace against Uzbekistan, becoming the first player ever to score at six different World Cups, but goalless, forgettable outings against DR Congo and Colombia either side of it have left question marks over a Portugal side ranked fifth in the world but yet to convince. Coach Roberto Martinez is under real pressure, accused of over-relying on a 41-year-old talisman while a deep, talented squad sits underused around him.
There is more to Portugal than the captain, of course. Bruno Fernandes remains the side’s heartbeat in the final third, Joao Neves has already opened his World Cup account at 21, and Nuno Mendes has chipped in from left-back too. The issue has not been talent, it has been breaking down sides that sit deep, exactly what Croatia are built to do.
And that is the other half of this story: Croatia simply do not lose knockout football at major tournaments, or at least they very rarely do. Runners-up in 2018, third place in 2022 after eliminating Brazil, two of the last three World Cups have ended with this golden generation still standing deep into the tournament, usually via a penalty shootout or a single moment of magic. Luka Modric, at 40, just became the oldest player ever to register a World Cup assist, teeing up Nikola Vlasic’s 83rd-minute winner against Ghana, and he shows no sign of slowing the only part of his game that matters at this level, his reading of it. A 4-2 opening defeat to England exposed some defensive fragility, but Zlatko Dalic tightened things up afterwards, and Josko Gvardiol is expected back at left-back to shore things up further.
Portugal have the head-to-head edge in recent competitive meetings and, on paper, the superior squad from back to front. But Croatia have made a habit of frustrating superior opponents into agonising late-game moments, and if this stays level, their tournament pedigree in shootouts is second to none. We lean towards Portugal’s greater firepower eventually finding a way through, with Ronaldo the obvious man to end his own personal drought, though do not be surprised in the slightest if this one goes all the way to penalties.
How They Might Line Up
Portugal have no fresh injury concerns and Martinez is expected to name close to his strongest available XI. Croatia are also fully fit, with Josko Gvardiol tipped to return at left-back after being surprisingly left out against Ghana.
PORTUGAL · Martinez · 4-3-3Costa · Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes · Vitinha, Neves · Neto, Fernandes, Felix · Ronaldo (c)
CROATIA · Dalic · 4-3-3Livakovic · Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Gvardiol · Sucic, Modric (c), Kovacic · Baturina, Budimir, Perisic
Who Reaches the Last 16?
Ronaldo to finally end his knockout drought, or Modric and Croatia to do it again? Sign up on Vatan in seconds and back your call.
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A Word on BMO Field
Home to MLS side Toronto FC and the CFL’s Argonauts, BMO Field is known as Toronto Stadium for the tournament and is the smallest, most intimate venue at this World Cup. There is more on it at Wikipedia.
Remarkably, this is Portugal and Croatia’s first ever World Cup meeting. At the Euros they have history: Portugal won 3-0 in the 1996 group stage, then edged a 2016 Round of 16 thriller through a Ricardo Quaresma extra-time winner. Their most recent clash, in the November 2024 Nations League, finished 1-1.
Portugal vs Croatia: Quick Answers
What time does Portugal vs Croatia kick off?
7pm Eastern in Toronto, which is also 7pm for US Eastern viewers. In the UK it is midnight BST in the early hours of Friday, July 3, and in Lisbon and Zagreb it is around midnight to 1am. The date is Thursday, July 2, 2026.
What channel is Portugal vs Croatia on in the US?
Fox has the English-language broadcast, with Telemundo in Spanish. You can also stream it via Fubo and YouTube TV.
Is Portugal vs Croatia free to watch in the UK?
Yes. It is live and free on BBC One, with free streaming via BBC iPlayer, though it is a midnight kick-off.
What happens if it is a draw after 90 minutes?
This is a knockout tie, so a draw means 30 minutes of extra time and then a penalty shootout if the teams are still level. Croatia have an excellent recent record in World Cup shootouts.
Who does the winner play next?
The winner of Portugal vs Croatia advances to the Round of 16 to face the winner of Spain vs Austria, with that tie played in Dallas on July 6.
Have Portugal and Croatia met at a World Cup before?
No, remarkably this is their first ever World Cup meeting. They have played at the European Championship, most notably a 2016 Round of 16 tie that Portugal won in extra time.
What is the Ronaldo and Modric connection?
The two captains spent six seasons together at Real Madrid, winning four Champions League titles as teammates. This is their first competitive meeting as opponents at a World Cup.
What is the prediction?
We expect a tight game and lean towards a narrow Portugal win, around 2-1, with Cristiano Ronaldo finally ending his career-long wait for a World Cup knockout goal. Croatia's shootout pedigree means extra time is a real possibility.
World Cup 2026 Guides
🏆 World Cup 2026 Final: Date, Venue, Time & How to Watch →
📅 World Cup 2026 Full Schedule, Bracket & Fixtures →
🏆 World Cup 2026 Groups, Tables & All 48 Teams →
🇺🇸 How to Watch the World Cup 2026 in the USA →
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