Portugal faces Croatia in World Cup last 16 as Ronaldo and Modric meet again
Portugal meets Croatia in the World Cup round of 16 on Thursday in Toronto, with a quarter-final place at stake after a patchy group stage and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro among the crowd.
The match
Portugal and Croatia meet at the BMO Field in Toronto on Thursday, 2 July, at 19:00 local time (midnight Friday in Lisbon) for a place in the quarter-finals. The stadium, the smallest in the tournament with a capacity increased to nearly 45,000, will host its last World Cup match. Norway's Espen Eskås will referee. For Portugal, it is a chance to bounce back after a gritty group stage.
Portugal's road so far
Roberto Martínez's side finished second in Group K with five points, behind Colombia's seven. A 1-1 draw with DR Congo, a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan and a 0-0 stalemate with Colombia gave them a patchy run. Minister of Culture Margarida Balseiro Lopes said the team "has accustomed us to excellent results" and expressed confidence for the knockout phase. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro will be in the stands, having already watched the Uzbekistan thrashing in Houston; President António José Seguro attended the Colombia match in Miami.
Coach and player reactions
Tomorrow we start the second World Cup. We did some things well, others difficult. We have 21 players who have already played. Minutes are not important; what matters is that everyone is ready to help, whether in the starting eleven or from the bench.
I understand the doubts and criticism. We accept them with open arms. No one wants to win more than us. We felt a lack of control against Colombia and we need to improve. The margin for error is almost zero.
Ronaldo and Modric: the farewell
The match pits Cristiano Ronaldo against Luka Modric, former Real Madrid colleagues and two of the last decade's defining players. Both are in their 40s and playing what is widely expected to be their final World Cup. Vitinha praised Modric as "a great reference" for him and said: "One of them will have to end this journey and I hope it's Modric."
Travel and anticipation
The Portuguese squad departed its Palm Beach base on Wednesday, with hotel staff forming a guard of honour. After arriving in Toronto, the team trained at Centennial Park, and Martínez and Vitinha held a press conference at the BMO Field. With the 48-team tournament running from 11 June to 19 July, Portugal now enters the knockout rounds eager to justify its favourites tag and reward the country's diaspora support.
