Portugal vs. Croatia in FIFA World Cup Round of 32

Kathmandu. On Friday morning (Nepali time), Portugal and Croatia are facing each other in the FIFA World Cup Football tournament. Both teams had secured second place in their respective groups.

Before the Round of 32 clash with Croatia on Thursday, Portugal appears to need significant improvement in its performance. So far, Portugal has only managed to defeat Uzbekistan in the tournament, where the team secured a resounding 5-0 victory with an outstanding performance from Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, Portugal remains undefeated in the current World Cup. Draws against DR Congo and Colombia, resulting in a performance that did not meet expectations, limited Portugal to second place in Group K.

Failing to win the group has made Portugal's knockout journey difficult. Had they secured the top spot in the group, they would have played Ghana, whom Colombia will now compete against.

Now, Portugal has to face the challenge of Croatia, the runner-up of the 2018 World Cup and a semi-finalist in the 2022 World Cup.

Croatia, repeatedly proving predictions wrong

Due to experience, discipline, and relentless hard work, Croatia is not considered an easy opponent for any team. Coach Zlatko Dalić's team, despite an initial loss to England, has since secured two consecutive wins, re-establishing confidence in the dressing room.

The Croatian team, known as the 'Checkered Ones', will once again be hoping to prove all predictions wrong. They have already achieved many such accomplishments in the last decade.

If Portugal can perform according to its true potential, it is more likely to win this match in Toronto.

Portugal expected to reach 'Round of 16' after a tough fight

Croatia has been performing better than expected in recent major tournaments. Therefore, even if they defeat Portugal, it might not be a huge surprise.

Experience plays a crucial role in the World Cup knockout stage, but Portugal is not a weak team in this aspect either. They also have considerable experience and, in terms of the overall squad, are considered a much stronger team than their European rivals.

With many excellent options in midfield and attack, 'Seleção das Quinas' is clearly the favorite to win the match, although they have not yet hit their best form in this World Cup.

Roberto Martínez's team has many players who can change the course of a game at any moment.

Friday's match is expected to be highly competitive. Both teams will fight hard, but the outcome is likely to be decided by a narrow margin at BMO Field.

Key facts in favor of Portugal

Excellent form: Since March 2025, the current UEFA Nations League winner Portugal has only suffered a defeat against the Republic of Ireland. The team has lost only one match out of the last 16.

Head-to-head record: In the last decade, these two teams have faced each other seven times. Portugal has won four of those matches, losing only one.

Croatia's struggle against top teams

Although Croatia's performance against smaller nations has been impressive, they have lost their last three matches against teams ranked in the top 10 of the FIFA rankings before the World Cup. England, Belgium, and Brazil have all defeated Croatia since March.

Portugal's probable squad

Head coach Roberto Martínez has no fitness concerns for the match against Croatia. Therefore, only one change is expected from the team that drew against Colombia.

In midfield, João Neves is likely to be included in the starting lineup in place of Rúben Neves.

On the wings, Pedro Neto and João Félix have almost secured their places. They will support the team's main playmaker Bruno Fernandes from the right and left flanks. Cristiano Ronaldo will be in the undisputed No. 9 role upfront.

Ronaldo, who scored two goals against Uzbekistan, will take the field aiming to increase his goal tally.

In the center of the defense, Rúben Dias is likely to partner with Renato Veiga. This means Tomáš Araújo and Gonçalo Inácio are less likely to start.

Portugal's probable 'Starting XI' (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Diogo Costa

Defenders: João Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes

Midfielders: João Neves, Vitinha

Attacking Midfielders: Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, João Félix

Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo

Croatia's probable squad

Head coach Zlatko Dalić faces some tough decisions. After the experiment with a 3-4-2-1 formation against England was unsuccessful, he returned to his preferred 4-2-3-1 strategy against Panama and Ghana.

As that change was successful, he is expected to continue with the same formation against Portugal.

Joško Gvardiol will return to the starting lineup on Thursday. He will play at left-back, and Ivan Perišić, who has been playing in that position, will be moved forward to his natural role on the left wing.

On the other wing, Petar Sučić is likely to retain his place after scoring an excellent goal against Ghana. However, Nikola Vlašić, who scored the winning goal against Ghana, might be out of the starting lineup this time.

Martin Baturina, who has been performing impressively in this World Cup, is expected to be moved to central attacking midfield. This will allow Perišić to play on the left wing, and Vlašić might have to settle for a place on the bench.

Croatia's probable 'Starting XI' (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Dominik Livaković

Defenders: Josip Stanišić, Joško Šutalo, Marin Pongračić, Joško Gvardiol

Midfielders: Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić

Attacking Midfielders: Petar Sučić, Martin Baturina, Ivan Perišić

Striker: Ante Budimir

Overall

Competition: 2026 FIFA World Cup, Round of 32

Match: Portugal vs. Croatia

Location: Toronto, Canada

Stadium: BMO Field

Date: Friday, 4:45 AM (Nepali time)