Portugal vs. Croatia LIVE: World Cup 2026 updates as Ronaldo and Modric face off

Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić, former Real Madrid teammates who shared a dressing room for nine years and won four Champions League titles together, face off for the first time in a World Cup match. The Round of 32 clash takes place today at BMO Field in Toronto.

The meeting carries heavy emotional weight for the two aging icons. Modrić, 40, is appearing in his fifth World Cup and recently reached a historic 200th international cap. Ronaldo, 41, is seeking to climb the all-time World Cup goalscoring leaderboard in what is likely his final tournament. Ronaldo currently has 10 World Cup goals, placing him in a seven-way tie for 11th place.

The atmosphere at BMO Field was electric prior to kick-off, with decibel levels reaching 120 during fan introductions. While Portuguese supporters held a boisterous march to the stadium, Croatian fans appeared louder inside the arena. The introduction of Ronaldo was met with overwhelming boos from the crowd.

Tactical Lineups and Personnel

Managers Roberto Martínez and Zlatko Dalić have named the following starting XIs:

Martínez has kept Bernardo Silva, João Félix, and Gonçalo Ramos on the bench. For Croatia, Joško Gvardiol, Andrej Kramarić, and Luka Vušković are among those listed as substitutes.

Road to Toronto

Portugal enters the knockout stage after a shaky group phase in Group K, where they finished second with one win and two draws. Ronaldo scored twice, both against Uzbekistan, but was described as almost invisible against Colombia and DR Congo. Against Colombia, he managed only two touches in the opposition box.

Croatia finished second in Group L with six points from two victories. After a 4-2 opening loss to England in Dallas, they rebounded with a 1-0 win over Panama — a match played at BMO Field — and a 2-1 victory over Ghana. Modrić provided the assist for the winning goal against Ghana.

Historical data favors Portugal, who have seven wins in 10 international meetings against Croatia, while Croatia has only won once. However, that lone victory occurred recently on Portuguese soil, with Modrić and Ante Budimir both scoring. Both players are starting today.

Managerial Perspectives

Zlatko Dalić has urged his squad to ignore the star narratives and focus on the midfield battle.

"I believe this is going to be a battle of midfielders. Portugal have excellent players in the midfield. They are tactically very good. In this match each error will be punished,"

Zlatko Dalić, Croatia Coach, via Times of India

Roberto Martínez has defended Ronaldo against critics who compare him to younger stars.

"Luka Modrić, at over 40 years old, continues to play many games. It is the same as our captain Cristiano Ronaldo. Age is just a number. What matters is what they continue to do on the pitch."

Roberto Martínez, Portugal Coach, via Times of India

Portugal midfielder Vitinha also praised Modrić's character, noting they had exchanged jerseys, though he admitted Portugal must improve collectively in midfield to compete.

Projections and Stakes

The Athletic’s forecast gives Portugal a 68 per cent chance of advancing. In their broader model for the final, Portugal is ranked seventh with a 7 per cent likelihood, while Croatia is rated at 1 per cent, the second-lowest in the projection.

Opta’s supercomputer provides a different set of probabilities for the 90-minute outcome: 54.5% for a Portugal win, 20.4% for a Croatia win, and 25.1% for the match to head into extra time.

The winner of this match will advance to the Round of 16 to face Spain, who recently defeated Austria 3-0 in Los Angeles.