Toronto, July 2 (IANS) Emotions will take centre stage when Portugal take on Croatia in a Round of 32 clash in the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Toronto Stadium on Friday, as two legends of the game, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, could be representing their country on the global stage for the last time.

Portugal reached the knockout stage after finishing second in Group K, drawing with Congo DR and Colombia, either side of a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan. Croatia, runners-up at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, also progressed after recovering from an opening defeat against England to record Group L victories over Panama and Ghana.

The contest between two of Europe’s leading football nations provides plenty of compelling subplots, not least a potential final meeting between two of the game’s greats. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and Croatia skipper Luka Modric spent six seasons together at Real Madrid, winning four UEFA Champions League titles, and both veterans remain central figures for their respective teams, with Ronaldo scoring twice against Uzbekistan and Modric marking his 201st game for Croatia with a vital assist against Ghana.

Although Portugal and Croatia have never met at the World Cup before, they have shared memorable encounters at the UEFA European Championship. Luis Figo scored as Portugal claimed a 3-0 group-stage victory at UEFA EURO 1996, before Ronaldo and Modric both featured in a EURO 2016 Round of 16 duel in which Ricardo Quaresma’s extra-time winner sent Portugal through.

How to watch Portugal vs Croatia live in India:

Live streaming and live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 football matches will be available on the ZEE5 platform and app in India. A subscription will be needed.

Live telecast of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be available on the Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD TV channels in India.

Key details:

Date and kick-off time: Friday, July 3, 04:30 AM (IST)

Venue: Toronto Stadium, Toronto

Referee: Espen Eskas

Portugal –

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa, José Sá, Rui Silva

Defenders: Diogo Dalot, Matheus Nunes, Nelson Semedo, João Cancelo, Nuno Mendes, Gonçalo Inácio, Renato Veiga, Rúben Dias, Tomás Araújo

Midfielders: Ruben Neves, Samuel Costa, Joao Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva

Forwards: João Félix, Francisco Trincão, Francisco Conceição, Pedro Neto, Rafael Leão, Gonçalo Guedes, Gonçalo Ramos; Cristiano Ronaldo

Croatia –

Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic, Ivor Pandur, Dominik Kotarski

Defenders: Josip Stanisic, Marin Pongracic, Josko Gvardiol, Duje Caleta-Car, Josip Sutalo, Luka Vuskovic, Martin Erlic

Midfielders: Nikola Moro, Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric, Nikola Vlasic, Mario Pasalic, Martin Baturina, Petar Sucic, Kristijan Jakic, Toni Fruk, Luka Sucic

Forwards: Andrej Kramaric, Ante Budimir, Ivan Perisic, Igor Matanovic, Marco Pasalic, Petar Musa

–IANS

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