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Portugal will be aiming to put a relatively disappointing group stage behind them when they face Croatia in the World Cup 2026 round of 32 in Toronto on Friday morning.
Roberto Martinez's men were favourites to top their group, but finished second after drawing 0-0 with Colombia last time out.
Meanwhile, Croatia beat Ghana 2-1 to snatch second place in their group, and boast an impressive recent record in World Cup knockouts.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions, as well as our best free bet offers world cup.
Portugal vs. Croatia key stats
- Portugal are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions (W5, D3).
- Croatia have lost three of their last six matches across all competitions (W3).
- Croatia have only won once in the previous 10 H2Hs (D2, L7), with the last meeting in 2024.
Portugal vs. Croatia preview: Portuguese to squeeze through?
| Portugal | vs | Croatia |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | FIFA Ranking | 11 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo (231) | Most Caps | Luka Modric (201) |
| Cristiano Ronaldo (145) | Most Goals | Ivan Perisic (38) |
| 1207 | Total Caps | 1207 |
| 264 | Total Goals | 158 |
| 0 | Uncapped Players | 1 |
Portugal are one of the most high-profile nations to never win the World Cup, but have at least won the European Championships and Nations League.
Only one thing is missing now from captain and all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo's CV, and should he win the World Cup, there will be serious conversations over whether he is the greatest player of all time after his biggest rival Lionel Messi won it with Argentina in 2022.
Ronaldo has some incredible talent backing him though in the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Paris Saint-Germain trio Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves and Vitinha, so it was a surprise to see them only finish second in their group behind Colombia.
Still, Portugal should be favourites to progress here, and should go full strength with no fresh concerns in the squad at the time of writing.
Croatia also have a fully-fit squad to choose from, so Zlatko Dalic is also likely to start his strongest XI.
Among those likely to start are veterans Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic, who are still so important to the team.
Interestingly, Croatia and Portugal's squads are just as experienced as each other with 1207 total caps each, filled with players who have played at the highest level.
Croatia especially have punched above their weight in recent years, reaching the final and semi-final of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively, but just one victory in 10 H2Hs against Portugal (D2, L7) suggests they may struggle to find a way again here.
Portugal vs. Croatia form guide & betting tips
| Portugal | vs | Croatia |
|---|---|---|
WWDWD |
Form | LWLWW |
| 10 | Goals For | 6 |
| 3 | Goals Against | 8 |
DWD |
World Cup 2026 | LWW |
Whispers predicts: Portugal 2-1 Croatia
Portugal are favourites to win in normal time, and given their superior form and H2H record of late, we are backing Portugal to win at 5/6 (1.83).
Croatia have picked up form though and should make it tough for them, so BTTS – Yes at 1/1 (2.00) could also come through.
Over 2.5 goals at 11/10 (2.10) is our final pick, having come through in three of Croatia's last four games.
Overall, we are predicting a 2-1 Portugal victory, which is available at 17/2 (9.50).
> Portugal to win at 5/6 (1.83) | Likelihood: Probable
> BTTS -Yes at 1/1 (2.00) | Likelihood: Possible
> Over 2.5 goals at 11/10 (2.10) | Likelihood: Possible