New Delhi, July 2 (IANS) Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia believes Portugal remain genuine contenders for the FIFA World Cup 2026 title despite an inconsistent group-stage campaign and backed Roberto Martinez’s side to overcome Croatia in their blockbuster Round of 32 clash.

Portugal and Croatia will meet in Toronto in a heavyweight knockout fixture that could mark the final FIFA World Cup appearance for two of football’s greatest modern icons, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric. Both are featuring in their sixth FIFA World Cup, a feat achieved only by four players in tournament history alongside Lionel Messi and Guillermo Ochoa.

Portugal reached the knockout stage after a mixed group campaign. A surprise draw against DR Congo was followed by a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, where Ronaldo scored twice to move past Eusebio’s tally of nine FIFA World Cup goals, before a defeat to Colombia left Portugal second in the group.

Despite their uneven start, Bhutia believes Portugal can raise their level in the knockout rounds.

“I don’t see Croatia knocking them out. Portugal are definitely contenders, though we haven’t seen them play like one so far. But knockout stages are different; they possess the quality to turn up with a completely different level of performance. I think we will see a different side to them in the knockouts,” said Bhutia, who is part of the expert panel for ZEE5’s FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage.

While Ronaldo continues to rewrite records, Bhutia feels Portugal’s strength lies in the quality spread across the squad rather than depending solely on their captain.

“Portugal has the overall quality to get the job done. They have players who can make a massive difference on their own, whereas the big question is whether their creative midfield can consistently carve out chances for Ronaldo,” he added.

Croatia bounced back from an opening defeat to England with wins over Ghana and Panama to seal their place in the Round of 32. After finishing runners-up in 2018 and third in 2022, they once again enter the knockout stage with a reputation for resilience.

However, Bhutia believes this Croatian side lacks the quality of previous generations.

“Over the years, Croatia has been a resilient team that always finds a way to get results. However, I don’t think they have that same quality this time around. They have brilliant players like Modrić, but age is not on their side. They’ve lost a lot of pace, and the game has slowed down for them,” he said.

“If Croatia is to get anything out of this match, Luka Modrić absolutely has to have the bigger impact. Portugal don’t solely rely on Ronaldo, but Croatia will absolutely have to look towards Modrić today,” he said.

Bhutia also backed Portugal’s attacking strength to prove decisive, although he identified a weakness in midfield.

“Portugal’s attacking style will prevail, especially if they can transition and attack faster. One weakness, however, is the lack of a true defensive midfielder who can consistently win balls and transition play from defence to attack,” he said.

“They already have immense strength going forward; great attacking midfielders, an excellent frontline, and two full-backs who love to attack. They just need someone in the centre of the pitch to win those physical battles and stabilise the midfield,” he added.

–IANS

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