Sports 30 June 2026

Portugal-Croatia in the last 16: the real test starts now

Through as group runners-up, Portugal meet Croatia in the World Cup knockouts. Where, when and what is at stake.

The warm-up games are over. Portugal booked their place in the World Cup knockouts and now comes the part where there are no second chances. First up is an old acquaintance from the big tournaments: Croatia.

Portugal finished the group in second place, which handed them a tough opponent right at the start of the bracket. The match is set for Thursday, 2 July, in Toronto, Canada. Win and you go through; lose and you pack your bags.

An opponent that commands respect

Croatia are one of those teams that never make it easy. Disciplined, experienced and used to long, nervy matches, they have knocked out top sides at recent World Cups. Portugal will need patience and cool heads, especially if the game drags into extra time and penalties.

Cristiano Ronaldo was a headline figure at the start of the tournament and the eternal debate returns: manage the captain or go all in on him? The good news is that this squad has depth it has lacked for years, with answers for every scenario.

Get past this hurdle and the draw looks juicy: Spain could be next, and further on names like Belgium and France. The dream is alive, but the road is mountainous.

Thursday it is, then, with the country glued to the screen again.

See also: Portugal had already booked the next round and the upsets of the World Cup last 32. Official schedule at FIFA.

By Vasco Almada

Image: Dagur Brynjólfsson from Hafnarfjordur, Iceland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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