Portugal vs Croatia: Prediction, Picks, Lineups & Best Bets

World Cup 2026 Round of 32 · Preview · Team News · Goalscorer Props · FanDuel odds

📖 Match Preview

This is the first-ever World Cup meeting between two European heavyweights, and it doubles as a personal storyline neither side is downplaying: Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, is almost certainly playing his sixth and final World Cup, opposite Luka Modrić, 40, still running Croatia's midfield as if the calendar doesn't apply to him. Roberto Martínez's Portugal finished second in Group K behind Colombia — a 1-1 draw with DR Congo, a 5-0 blowout of Uzbekistan, and a scoreless draw with Colombia — form that's been inconsistent outside that one lopsided win.

Croatia finished second in Group L behind England, opening with a shaky 4-2 loss before tightening up defensively to beat Panama 1-0 and Paraguay 2-1. Zlatko Dalić's side has cleaned up the defensive issues that cost them against England, conceding just once across their last two group games — but their attack remains genuinely modest, ranking 31st of 32 teams in the tournament for total shot attempts. This is a team built on resilience and game management rather than firepower, and it's exactly the profile that's carried Croatia to a World Cup final (2018) and a semifinal (2022) via two separate penalty shootout runs.

The Ronaldo storyline is the sharpest angle here: he's played every minute of the group stage but has been quiet in two of three games, scoring twice against Uzbekistan while going goalless against DR Congo and Colombia. If he can't break through against a stubborn Croatian defense today, the questions about his final tournament only grow louder. On the other side, Rúben Dias's return to Portugal's back line has coincided with two straight clean sheets — a genuine defensive boost heading into the knockout rounds.

🩺 Team News & Injuries

📋 Predicted Lineups

📊 Key Stats & Head-to-Head

⭐ Best Bets — FanDuel

All odds FanDuel Sportsbook · 3-Way Moneyline (90 min): Portugal -150 / Draw +270 / Croatia +470 · 2 Up Early Payout: Portugal -160 / Draw +270 / Croatia +400 · To Qualify (reg+ET+pens): Portugal -300 / Croatia +235 · Anytime Goalscorer (top of board): Ronaldo -110, Felix +190, Fernandes +230, Budimir +270, Neto +280, Kramaric +310, B.Silva +330, Neves +410 · To Score or Assist: Ronaldo -145, Fernandes -110, Felix +105, Neto +135, B.Silva +145, Kramaric +190 · Player 1+ SOT: Ronaldo -450, Felix -210, Fernandes -175, Budimir -155, Kramaric -120, Neto +100 · First Goalscorer: Ronaldo +320, Felix +600, Fernandes +750, Neto +850, Budimir +900, No Goalscorer +1500 · Correct Score: Portugal 1-0 +650, 0-0 +1500, 0-1 +1600, 2-0 +850, 1-1 +600, 0-2 +3500, 2-1 +650, 2-2 +1200, 1-2 +1500, 3-0 +1400, 3-3 +4500, 0-3 +8000, 3-1 +1200, 1-3 +4500, 3-2 +1900, 2-3 +3500 · BTTS Yes -146 / No +114 · O/U 1.5: -470 / +340 · O/U 2.5: -142 / +116 · O/U 3.5: +186 / -235 · Portugal predicted 4-3-3: Costa; Mendes, Dias, Veiga, Cancelo; Neves, Vitinha, Fernandes; Neto, Ronaldo, Felix · Croatia predicted 4-2-3-1: Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Sucic; Perisic, Modric, Baturina; Budimir · No injuries reported for either side · BMO Field, Toronto Canada · Today 7PM ET · FOX/Telemundo · Winner faces Spain/Austria winner in Round of 16 · Must be 21+ · Gambling Problem? 1-800-GAMBLER