Croatia crash out of World Cup after 2–1 loss to Portugal

Croatia out, Portugal advance 2–1

It is over. Portugal 2–1 Croatia in the World Cup round of 32 on Friday, and your tournament ends in Toronto (1) (4). Portugal now face the winner of Mexico vs Norway in the round of 16. The dream of a deep run with the 40-year-old Luka Modric at the controls is gone.

Stanisic: the pain will not carry into the new season

Josip Stanisic faced the cameras after the defeat. The Bayern Munich defender said he does not believe the loss will spill into the new club campaign. "Ich glaube nicht, dass wir das in die neue Saison mittragen," he told kicker, meaning the squad will not drag this into the autumn (2). A small comfort on a difficult night.

Veiga shines and Villa take notice

Renato Veiga impressed for Portugal and Aston Villa were watching. Villa see the Chelsea-owned centre-back, currently on loan at Villarreal, as a possible Ezri Konsa replacement (4). Veiga kept it simple after the match: "I always loved the Premier League" (4). Arsenal are also tracking him, and Portugal teammate Ruben Dias is said to be confident a deal will happen (4).

Fan reactions

The mood is raw. Croatia are out alongside Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden, six UEFA sides gone after the round of 32, more than any other confederation. The officiating debate from the group stage has resurfaced too, with some fans revisiting Ante Budimir's denied penalty as part of a pattern. But the loudest talk is about Modric. Plenty of supporters are making the case that Modric, not Ronaldo, was the greater player on the pitch Friday. Read more on r/soccer and r/worldcup.