Portugal and Croatia are set for an intriguing FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 showdown. The spotlight will be on Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić, two former Real Madrid stars and national team captains who could be playing in the final World Cup of their illustrious careers.
Portugal reached the knockout rounds after collecting five points. They drew 1-1 with DR Congo in their opener, produced a commanding 5-0 win over Uzbekistan as Ronaldo scored twice, and wrapped up the group stage with a goalless draw against Colombia.
Croatia secured second place in their group with six points. Despite opening the tournament with a 4-2 loss to England, Zlatko Dalić’s side recovered impressively by defeating Panama 1-0 and Ghana 2-1 to progress to the knockout phase.
Read our Portugal vs Croatia prediction for the FIFA World Cup.
Portugal vs Croatia prediction for the 2026 World Cup
It is do or die. That is exactly why the prediction below zeroes in on the strongest bet for this knockout World Cup tie.
Here is our pick:
No BTTS 1st Half
Who are the favourites?
Based on the leading UK-licensed bookmakers, Portugal is tipped to come out on top, with 52% of the odds leaning towards their win.
Looking for more? Browse all the World Cup odds and dig into this and other ties from the planet's biggest football tournament.
Portugal hold the head-to-head edge
Portugal comes out ahead in the record against Croatia.
Across 7 meeting(s), the breakdown reads:
Portugal: 4 win(s)
Croatia: 1 win(s)
Draws: 2
At the 2026 World Cup, that head-to-head edge is one more thing to factor into the Portugal vs Croatia prediction.
Portugal at the 2026 World Cup
Portugal arrive having already played 3 match(es) at the 2026 World Cup. Here is the record for Portugal National Team:
At the World Cup:
1 win(s), 2 draw(s) and 0 loss(es)
1.67 point(s) per game on average
6 goals scored at the World Cup (2 per game)
1 goals conceded at the World Cup (0.33 per game)
Portugal National Team in 2026
8 win(s), 4 draw(s) and 1 loss(es) in all competitions
Leading scorer: Cristiano Ronaldo with 5 goal(s)
Most assists: Bruno Fernandes with 2
Croatia at the 2026 World Cup
Croatia go into this tie with 3 match(es) already behind them at the 2026 World Cup.
Here is what Croatia National Team have managed so far:
At the World Cup
2 win(s), 0 draw(s) and 1 loss(es)
2 point(s) per game on average
5 goals scored at the World Cup (1.67 per game)
5 goals conceded at the World Cup (1.67 per game)
Croatia National Team in 2026
11 win(s), 1 draw(s) and 3 loss(es) in all competitions
Leading scorer: Andrej Kramarić with 6 goal(s)
Most assists: Ivan Perišić with 4
Portugal vs Croatia statistics at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Before you stake anything, look over the side-by-side comparison that sheds light on each nation's current form for this World Cup tie:
Portugal
International - World Cup
| Form | Last 5 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | D W D W W |
2.2 |
| Home | W D W W W |
2.6 |
| Away | D W D L W |
1.6 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 33% | 50% | 0% |
| Goals | 2.33 | 3.5 | 0 |
| Scored | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Conceded | 0.33 | 0.5 | 0 |
| Both Teams to Score | 33% | 50% | 0% |
| Without Conceding | 67% | 50% | 100% |
| Failed To Score | 33% | 0% | 100% |
| 1st to Score | 67% | 100% | 0% |
|
xG
|
1.48 | 1.61 | 1.24 |
|
xGA
|
1.34 | 0.81 | 2.4 |
Croatia
International - World Cup
| Form | Last 5 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | W W L W L |
1.8 |
| Home | W W L W W |
2.4 |
| Away | W L L W W |
1.8 |
| Stats | Overall | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win % | 67% | 100% | 50% |
| Goals | 3.33 | 3 | 3.5 |
| Scored | 1.67 | 2 | 1.5 |
| Conceded | 1.67 | 1 | 2 |
| Both Teams to Score | 67% | 100% | 50% |
| Without Conceding | 33% | 0% | 50% |
| Failed To Score | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 1st to Score | 67% | 100% | 50% |
|
xG
|
1.05 | 1.05 | 1.06 |
|
xGA
|
1.35 | 0.65 | 1.7 |
Portugal vs Croatia probable lineups
See the likely starting elevens below for our Portugal vs Croatia prediction at the 2026 World Cup.
Portugal (4-3-3): Diogo Costa, Diogo Dalot, Rúben Dias, Gonçalo Inácio, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, Francisco Conceição, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Leão.
Croatia (4-3-3): Dominik Livaković, Josip Stanišić, Josip Šutalo, Joško Gvardiol, Martin Erlić, Mateo Kovačić, Luka Modrić, Mario Pašalić, Nikola Vlašić, Andrej Kramarić, Ivan Perišić.
The confirmed lineups will be available close to the kickoff time.
How to watch Portugal vs Croatia live in the UK
Find out below where you can catch Portugal vs Croatia live during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Just remember, kick-off is at 00:00 UK time.
For the full schedule, check our our World Cup live streaming page.
More betting tips for this match
Alongside the main tip given at the top of this article, here are some other strong bets for Portugal vs Croatia:
Further 2026 World Cup predictions
Browse all of our 2026 FIFA World Cup predictions and keep up with the sharpest analysis from start to finish of the tournament.
Match details: Portugal vs Croatia
🆚 Fixture Portugal vs Croatia
🏆 Tournament 2026 FIFA World Cup
📅 Date Friday, 03/07/2026
🕐 Kick-off 00:00 UK time
🏟️ Venue BMO Field, 170 Princes’ Boulevard
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Sports betting analyst with over ten years of experience in football analysis, match statistics and betting markets.