Portugal vs Croatia confirmed teams and full lineups, TV channel, live streaming online and statistics
Portugal and Croatia have confirmed their squads for their last 32 match at the 2026 World Cup in Toronto on Friday.
The Selecao finished second in Group K, drawing 1-1 with DR Congo and 0-0 with Colombia, both of which beat Uzbekistan 5-0 with two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Eight years ago, Croatia lost 4-2 to England before beating Panama 1-0 and Ghana 2-1 to advance to Group L.
Zlatko Dalic’s side had lost all five competitive meetings between the nations before Josko Gvardiol’s goal earned Vatreni a 1-1 draw in Split at the Nations League in November 2024.
Miami ✈️ Toronto #VaiDarPortugal | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/D7J1oKRlMQ
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) July 1, 2026
2026 World Cup: Portugal confirmed group against Croatia
In Portugal starting XI: Costa, Dias, Veiga, Cancelo, Mendes, Fernandes, Neves, Vitinha, Ronaldo, Leao, Neto
In Portugal substitutes: Sa, Silva, Semedo. Araujo, Dalot, Inacio, Costa, Nunes, Silva, Neves, Ramos, Felix, Trincao, Guedes, Conceicao
2026 World Cup: Croatia to face Portugal
Croatia starting XI: Livakovic, Stanisic, Pongracic, Sutalo, Kovacic, Modric, Vlasic, Baturina, Sucic, Budimir, Perisic
Croatia instead of: Pandur, Kotarski, Gvardiol, Caleta-Car, Jakic, Vuskovic, Erlic. Moro, Pasalic, Fruk, Sucic, Kramaric, Matanovic, Pasalic, Musa
Where to watch Portugal v Croatia: TV channel, live streaming online
Kick-off is on Friday at 00:00 BST (19:00 ET / 16:00 PT, both Thursdays). In the UK, live TV broadcasts on BBC One.
Live streaming on multiple devices is available via the BBC iPlayer app and the BBC Sport website.
World Cup 2026: Portugal v Croatia stats
- Portugal has improved despite failing to win two games for the fourth time in the group stage of the last five World Cups, and finally lost in 2014.
- The Selecao had recorded at least 60% in their last 12 matches before recording 45% against Colombia, the lowest since the Nations League final against Spain in June 2025.
- Against Colombia, Vitinha became the first Portuguese player to have 100% pass accuracy in a World Cup match with at least 20 passes attempted (54 out of 54)
- Cristiano Ronaldo, who has played 25 matches in the World Cup, is the second joint-most, along with Germany’s Lothar Matthaus (28).
- The Al-Nassr striker has been caught offside 11 times in the last two World Cups, 4 more than any other player (France’s Kylian Mbappe and Colombia’s Luis Diaz are on 7)
- Croatia have reached the knockout stage for the fourth time, having done so three times previously (2018, 2022, 2026) after appearing just once in their first four appearances at the tournament (1998).
- Against Ghana, Petar Sucic (22 years, 245 days old) became the second youngest player to score for Croatia at the World Cup, after Josko Gvardiol against Morocco in 2022 (20y 328d)
- Luka Modric (40y 291d) is the oldest player in history (since 1966) to provide an assist at the World Cup.
- Nikola Vlasic has scored in three of his last four starts for Croatia in all competitions, with all three goals coming in different years (2024, 2025 and 2026).
- All 20 matches of Ivan Perisic playing for Croatia in the World Cup came as a start; only foreign players have appeared more often with 100% of them starting with Paolo Maldini (23), Diego Maradona (21) and Uwe Seeler (21).
- The average age of Croatia’s starting XI against Ghana (30y 94d) was the second-oldest in a World Cup match, behind only their side’s 2-1 third-place playoff win against the Netherlands in 1998 (30y 126d).
