Portugal and Croatia clash in a mouthwatering World Cup tie today, as Cristiano Ronaldo’s supposed final bid to lift this trophy is put at serious risk of collapsing.
The superstar has been central to the narrative around this Portugal team, and whether he himself should be a central cog in the system, but either way he has played every single minute in North America so far.
After a flat opening effort in a 1-1 draw with DR Congo, the 41-year-old notched a double in a 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan, before Portugal rounded out the group by drawing 0-0 with Colombia. Meanwhile, Croatia bounced back from a 4-2 loss to England by edging past Panama 1-0 and Ghana 2-1, setting up this intriguing contest in Toronto, Canada.
In Luka Modric, Croatia have their own star player making one last run at the World Cup trophy, after the nation were runners-up in 2018 and third-placed finishers in 2022.
Follow live updates from the World Cup last-32 tie, below:
Read MoreThe Croatia player showing Cristiano Ronaldo what he’s missing – with time running out
Portugal v Croatia LIVE
- Portugal and Croatia meet in World Cup last 32 in Toronto | Live on BBC One
- Spain await in last 16 after European champions eased past Austria
- 30' CLOSE! Ronaldo fails to convert from cross again
- 9' CHANCE! Ronaldo can’t get on the end of cross at back post
- 4' CLOSE! Fernandes kept out twice in quick succession in frantic moment
- Portugal XI: Costa; Cancelo, Veiga, Dias, Mendes; J Neves, Vitinha; Leao, Fernandes, Neto; Ronaldo
- Croatia XI: Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Perisic; Modric, Kovacic; Vlasic, Sucic, Baturina; Budimir.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:34 , Alan Smith33’ - Fernandes drives a low cross for Livakovic to parry and from the rebound Fernandes’ second attempt is blocked for yet another corner. It is half-cleared to Mendes and his shot is blocked. Croatia then seek to break but Neto tracks back determinedly to take the ball off Baturina.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:31 , Alan Smith30’ - How have they missed this one? Cancelo puts in a beautiful inswinger from the right. Fernandes tries to get on the end of it but misses. Then Ronaldo arrives but is somehow a whisker from meeting it. Had he got a touch it would have been a certain goal. Instead it’s a goal kick.
MacPhee watch
00:28 , Richard Jolly in TorontoPortugal's long-haired set-piece coach Austin MacPhee looks like a member of Iron Maiden who is going to play tennis.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:27 , Alan Smith27’ - We’re underway again.
Two men in their 40s not moving much
00:26 , Richard Jolly in TorontoAnother hydration break is booed. It isn't necessary today - much of the pitch is in shade, there is a breeze coming in from the lake and two men in their forties haven't moved much.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:24 , Alan Smith23’ - Pongracic does fantastically well to cut out a Mendes cross that appeared destined for Neto to bundled in from three yards. Mendes then takes the ensuring corner and Neves cannot meet it cleanly.
And that signals the advertising break. There are some boos but it was apparently sweltering earlier on in Toronto, according to the BBC commentary.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:20 , Alan Smith21’ - It’s beginning to look like Croatia have successfully weathered the early storm. Portugal are a little less intense and Leao has stopped enjoying the freedom of the left flank.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:17 , Alan Smith17’ - Dias is harshly booked for colliding with Budimir. It is hardly a foul, a 50/50 collision in which the Portugal defender’s arms appears to accidentally meet the Croatia forward.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:16 , Alan Smith16’ - Dias sends a pass over the top towards Neto and Perisic gives away a corner. Mendes whips it in and Veiga rises to meet it ... but he heads it too hard and a great chance passes Portugal by.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:13 , Alan Smith12’ - Leao is tripped by Stanisic and Portugal have a free kick in Ronaldo range. The forward’s strike hits Pongracic exactly where you do not want to be hit.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:11 , Alan Smith10’ - Croatia get forward down their right, Sucic crosses to Budimir but his header is off target.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:09 , Richard Jolly in TorontoAll Portugal at the moment. They have a threat on either flank. Croatia aren't pressing them - and perhaps they were never going to - but they feel a but too passive.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:09 , Alan Smith9’ - Portugal are on a mission. Neto floats a cross in for Ronaldo but a combination of Livakovic’s missed attempt to punch and a Sutalo leap puts him off and the ball goes out for a goal kick.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:07 , Alan Smith7’ - More good work from Leao brings a corner. His cross tries to find Ronaldo but Sutalo gets a head to it and then Livakovic puts it out of play. From the dead ball Croatia half clear it to Cancelo just outside the box. His half volley is well over.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:05 , Alan Smith4’ - Fernandes has two shots thwarted in succession! The first is saved well by Livakovic, the second one leads to a VAR check for handball that is not given but we’re yet to see a replay. It all came from a nice cross by Leao after he got in behind on the left side.
Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:03 , Alan Smith3’ - Budimir hits the first shot, a low drag that is easy for Costa after Vlasic centred.
Kick-off! Portugal 0-0 Croatia
00:00 , Alan Smith1’ - Croatia, in all blue, kick off. Portugal are also in their change strip of green and white. What daftness.
Tonight's referee
23:59 , Alan SmithEspen Eskas from Norway takes charge of this one.
Almost time
23:55 , Alan SmithHere we go then. The teams are out, the anthems are being sung and we’re not far from a rather fascinating tie getting underway.
Kick-off looms! Get ready
23:48 , Alex PattleThe players are about to make their way onto the pitch. Don’t go anywhere.
This one should be FASCINATING.
Just my opinion, but I have a feeling penalties may loom this evening...
All World Cup last-16 ties at the time of writing
23:43 , Alex PattleCanada v Morocco
Paraguay v France
Brazil v Norway
Mexico v England
USA v Belgium
Portugal/Croatia v Spain
Who will the winners face?
23:38 , Alex PattleThe winners will play the victors between Spain, with that eventual last-16 game taking place on Monday 6 July in Dallas, at 8pm BST.
More on the 'great' Messi vs Ronaldo debate
23:33 , Alex PattleCheers and boos for Ronaldo
23:32 , Richard Jolly in TorontoIt's hot in Toronto, but not oppressively; or so says someone who doesn't have to run around for 90 minutes (admittedly, neither does Ronaldo). Portugal are warming up and, when their names were announced, there were both cheers and boos for their captain, the boos from the Croatians.
Messi vs Ronaldo? The debate was always absurd
23:27 , Miguel DelaneyTo think that this greatest of tournaments used to just mean pain and disappointment for Messi. He has admitted he used to wake up in the middle of the night dwelling on the defeated final of 2014.
Now, he’s fulfilling every dream, every expectation from all that young talent.
Messi is not just the player with the most appearances at the World Cup but now its all-time top scorer, and he may yet end up with a third tournament golden ball, a first golden boot and maybe - just maybe - a second winners medal.
He stands alone, in so many ways.
If the debate with Cristiano Ronaldo was always absurd, given that there was never really any debate at all, Messi is ensuring it was just a quirk of history.
The contrast does say something else, though:
Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo? The debate was always absurd
Which veteran goes home?
23:25 , Richard Jolly in TorontoTwo forty-somethings with 200 caps apiece. For either Cristiano Ronaldo or Luka Modric, this could be a final World Cup game. Long-time teammates at Real Madrid will captain their countries here. Croatia have been great overachievers in World Cups in Modric's time, Portugal underachievers in Ronaldo's. Who goes home now?
How a thrilling stalemate between Colombia and Portugal set up two fascinating knockout ties
23:20 , Alex PattleHere’s how Portugal ended up with this daunting Croatia test, while Colombia topped the group to draw Ghana in the last 32.
It was a 0-0 draw between Portugal and Colombia, but the scoreline belies the thrilling nature of that final group game.
How a thrilling stalemate set up fascinating World Cup knockout ties
The Croatia player showing Ronaldo what he’s missing – with time running out
23:10 , Richard Jolly in TorontoIf life is supposed to begin at 40, a World Cup life should end in the fifth decade. History will be made by two who could soon be part of it.
The 23rd World Cup features a pair born before the 13th edition. For the first time in the history of the competition, there is a derby of the 40-somethings as Portugal meet Croatia.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, each born in 1985, both among the seven players with the most World Cup appearances ever, serial Champions League winners together, have a reunion where one faces a finish.
In Modric’s case, it will be definitive. “This is his last World Cup, and he is doing his best to say ‘goodbye’ to the tournament,” said Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic.
As for Ronaldo, is it beyond the realms of possibility that he sets his sights on a World Cup that Portugal will co-host in 2030? The record scorer in the history of international football seemed to have played his last World Cup game four years ago. Ronaldo’s bid to defy the ageing process has taken him to the United States and, now, Canada, despite the evidence it should not.
The Croatia player showing Cristiano Ronaldo just what he’s missing
Portugal v Croatia – group-stage results
23:00 , Alex PattlePortugal
1-1 v DR Congo
5-0 v Uzbekistan
0-0 v Colombia
Croatia
2-4 v England
1-0 v Panama
2-1 v Ghana
Yet more history
22:50 , Alan Smith41 - Cristiano Ronaldo é o primeiro jogador da história a disputar uma partida de mata-mata de Copa do Mundo aos 41 anos de idade.
— OptaJoao (@OptaJoao) July 2, 2026
Dedicação. pic.twitter.com/qGTKM5u5xN
Croatia XI confirmed
22:43 , Alan SmithLivakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Perisic; Modric, Kovacic; Vlasic, Sucic, Baturina; Budimir.
Portugal XI confirmed
22:42 , Alan SmithCosta; Mendes, Veiga, Dias, Cancelo; J Neves, Vitinha; Leao, Fernandes, Neto; Ronaldo.
Who will the winners face? Spain await
22:37 , Alex PattleHere’s Kieran Jackson’s report from LA, where Spain just saw off Austria 3-0 to set up a tie with the winners of this game:
While all the big-hitters around them experience a glut of goals and drama, depending on which way you glance, Spain continue their methodical and altogether stress-free path to the latter stages of the World Cup. Sure, they are lacking France’s all-out firepower.
Sure, they are lacking a leading talisman in Argentina’s Lionel Messi or England’s Harry Kane. But as a cohesive unit, ticking over possession and grounding their opposition into submission, there is still no collective well-rounded team better at this World Cup 2026 than La Roja.
Are you watching, France? This is why Spain are peaking at just the right time
Portugal v Croatia team news and predicted line-ups
22:30 , Alex PattleJoao Neves could be back in the starting XI for Portugal, having come off the bench in their final group game against Colombia.
For Croatia, Josko Gvardiol may return at left back following his surprising absence in the last group tie with Ghana.
Portugal XI: Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; J Neves, Vitinha; Neto, Fernandes, Felix; Ronaldo.
Croatia XI: Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Gvardiol; Modric, Kovacic; Pasalic, Baturina, Perisic; Musa.
How to watch Portugal v Croatia tonight
22:15 , Alex PattleThe match will air live on BBC One in the UK, with BBC iPlayer also streaming the action.
Portugal v Croatia start time tonight
22:00 , Alex PattleThe round-of-32 game will take place at 12am BST, and it will play out at Toronto Stadium in Canada.
Portugal v Croatia LIVE: Welcome!
21:45 , Alex PattlePortugal and Croatia clash in a mouthwatering World Cup tie today, as Cristiano Ronaldo’s supposed final bid to lift this trophy is put at serious risk of collapsing.
The superstar has been central to the narrative around this Portugal team, and whether he himself should be a central cog in the system, but either way he has played every single minute in North America so far.
After a flat opening effort in a 1-1 draw with DR Congo, the 41-year-old notched a double in a 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan, before Portugal rounded out the group by drawing 0-0 with Colombia. Meanwhile, Croatia bounced back from a 4-2 loss to England by edging past Panama 1-0 and Ghana 2-1, setting up this intriguing contest in Toronto, Canada.
In Luka Modric, Croatia have their own star player making one last run at the World Cup trophy, after the nation were runners-up in 2018 and third-placed finishers in 2022.
Follow live updates from the World Cup last-32 tie, right here.
