Modric and Ronaldo set for final World Cup meeting in Toronto

Portugal await in Toronto on Friday

Your Croatia side faces Portugal in the World Cup round of 32 on Friday, with a place in the last 16 at stake (1). The match in Toronto will likely be the final World Cup appearance for either Luka Modric or Cristiano Ronaldo, two 40-year-old icons on opposite sides. Croatia reached this stage with a 2–1 win over Ghana, Petar Sucic scoring early to secure second in Group L behind England.

Croatia player dismisses Ronaldo ahead of clash

An unnamed Croatia player has stirred the pot before Friday. "Ronaldo is not the best footballer. We've seen it's Messi," the player said, calling Ronaldo his childhood idol but adding Messi is the answer to the GOAT debate (2). The comment lands directly before a knockout tie against Portugal's captain.

Joao Felix: Portugal are 'very confident'

Portugal forward Joao Felix responded with a clear message of his own. "They should rest assured. Just because we drew two games doesn't mean we're any less confident. It's the World Cup. Everyone just needs to stay calm. We're very confident that we'll beat Croatia," he said (3). Portugal drew twice in the group stage but topped their group regardless.

Fan-reaktioner

Croatia fans on Reddit have been looking back rather than forward, with one thread highlighting your team's flawless penalty shootout record at World Cups. Croatia have won all four of their shootouts, against Denmark and Russia in 2018, then Japan and Brazil in 2022. Only Paraguay and now Morocco share a 100% record with multiple attempts. Read the full thread