Portugal and Croatia clash in World Cup last-32 encounter in Toronto

By Thomas Beckwith · Senior Football Correspondent · July 3, 2026

By Thomas Beckwith — 3 July 2026 — 3 min read

First Half Action

The World Cup last-32 match between Portugal and Croatia saw an intense start in Toronto. Early in the game, Portugal created significant opportunities. In the fourth minute, Bruno Fernandes had two shots on goal, with the first being saved by Livakovic. The second attempt led to a VAR check for a potential handball, which was ultimately not given. This sequence originated from a cross by Leão from the left side.

Portugal continued to press, with Neto delivering a cross for Cristiano Ronaldo in the ninth minute. A combination of Livakovic’s missed punch and a leap from Sutalo prevented Ronaldo from connecting, sending the ball out for a goal kick. Moments later, more good work from Leão resulted in a corner. His cross, intended for Ronaldo, was headed away by Sutalo, and Livakovic put it out of play. Cancelo then attempted a half-volley from outside the box, which went over the bar.

In the 12th minute, Kovacic caught Mendes on the foot, leading to a free kick for Portugal in a dangerous position. Ronaldo’s subsequent strike hit Pongracic. Croatia also had an early chance when Sucic crossed to Budimir, but his header was off target.

Portugal maintained pressure, and in the 16th minute, Ruben Dias sent a pass towards Neto, leading to a corner after Perisic intervened. Mendes whipped in the corner, and Veiga rose to meet it, but his header went over the bar. Dias was later booked for a collision with Budimir, which was described as a 50/50 challenge.

By the 21st minute, Croatia appeared to have weathered Portugal’s initial storm, with Portugal’s intensity slightly reduced. In the 23rd minute, Pongracic made a crucial interception on a Mendes cross that seemed destined for Neto. Mendes then took the resulting corner, but Neves could not connect cleanly.

Continued Pressure and Missed Chances

Portugal continued to work the ball around, with Croatia dropping many players into their penalty area. There was not a significant amount of off-the-ball movement from Portugal as the first quarter neared its end. In the 29th minute, Croatia drifted backward to draw Portugal forward before attempting a long pass, which was flagged offside.

The 30th minute saw two more chances for Portugal. Cancelo delivered a cross that narrowly missed being redirected into the net by either Ronaldo or Fernandes. Three minutes later, a long ball was kept in play and recycled for Fernandes to shoot from an acute angle. The rebound stayed in play, and a timely intervention led to a corner for Portugal.

Croatia attempted to break from the corner, but Portugal surrounded Baturina, and the referee did not call a foul when the Croatian attacker fell. The game remained clean despite more than the seven fouls that were called. In the 43rd minute, Croatia tried to build from the back under significant Portuguese pressure, losing the ball momentarily, and a player was upended, but no foul was called, much to the crowd’s displeasure.

In the 45th minute, Ruben Dias committed a foul on Budimir just past midfield. Croatia showed little interest in progressing further and won another free kick, with Sutalo absorbing a gentle foul. The match is a crucial World Cup 2026 tie, with Ronaldo playing every minute in North America so far.

Croatia’s Luka Modric is also making a final run at the World Cup trophy. Croatia were runners-up in 2018 and finished third in 2022. Portugal’s journey to this stage included a 1-1 draw with DR Congo, a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan, and a 0-0 draw with Colombia. Croatia bounced back from a 4-2 loss to England by defeating Panama 1-0 and Ghana 2-1, setting up this contest in Toronto.

The match is currently tied at 0-0.

Source: theguardian.com

Thomas Beckwith

Senior Football Correspondent

As NewsUK's Senior Football Correspondent, Thomas Beckwith reports on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side for readers across the country. He reported on three World Cups for a national news agency. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Thomas lives in Sheffield, where he watches lower-league football most weekends. “Football writing is about the decisions, not just the result.”