World Cup: Who are the Croatia team that Portugal will face?

Portugal's goalless draw against Colombia secured second place in Group K for the Seleção, setting up a Round of 32 clash against Croatia in the 2026 World Cup.

History favors the Portuguese side against the team known as the 'Vatreni'. In 10 matches, Portugal has seven wins, two draws, and only one loss, which came in a 2024 friendly. The last time they met in a knockout stage was during the Euro 2016 Round of 16, a duel decided in extra time by a solitary Ricardo Quaresma goal.

It has been 10 years since these two nations faced off in a tournament's knockout phase. While much has changed, some things remain the same: just like back then, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić are still the leading figures for their respective teams. The midfielder, now at Milan and then at Real Madrid, became the oldest player ever to provide an assist in a World Cup on Saturday, at 40 years old, during the 2-1 victory over Ghana.

In these 10 years, much has happened to this Croatian team. In 2018, they reached the World Cup final in Russia, losing to France. In 2022, they finished third after falling to eventual champions Argentina in the semi-finals. Now, however, they are experiencing a 'last dance' of sorts for their biggest stars, with Modrić (40), Perišić (37), Budimir (34), Kramarić (35), and Kovačić (32) likely playing in their final World Cup.

Simultaneously, a rebuilding process is underway for the squad, which is the 17th oldest of the 48 teams in the tournament. Manchester City's center-back Joško Gvardiol, at 24, is already a leader, despite not having a particularly strong World Cup on an individual level. Vusković, 19, shone this year in Hamburg's defense. The cousins Luka Sučić, who plays for Real Sociedad, and Petar Sučić of Inter, are 23 and 22 respectively. In more creative roles, there's Baturina, a 23-year-old attacking midfielder who scored eight goals for Como in 2025/26.

Croatia shared Group L with England, Panama, and Ghana. Their first match against England ended the first half on a positive note: despite England's slight superiority, the score was 2-2 at the break. However, in the second half, Zlatko Dalić's men had no answer for the Three Lions, who stepped on the gas. The final 4-2 scoreline wasn't wider only because of a great performance from goalkeeper Livaković.

Next came the duel with Panama, which ended in a 1-0 victory but surely raised concerns for Dalić. The match, settled by a Budimir goal in the 54th minute, lacked creativity and offensive firepower. Nevertheless, the three points were secured.

In the third match, Croatia started well against Ghana but allowed an equalizer in the second half. At 40 years old, Modrić proved that age is just a number, delivering a pinpoint cross for Vlašić to score the winner for a 2-1 final result.

And so, Croatia's group stage campaign concluded. They won the games they were expected to win and lost the one they were expected to lose. The Croatians earned six points, one less than England, finished second, and secured their spot in the Round of 32. The match against Portugal is scheduled for midnight between July 2nd and July 3rd.