7M - World Cup Preview: Portugal vs Croatia - prediction, team news, lineups

A blockbuster encounter awaits at BMO Field as European heavyweights Portugal and Croatia battle it out for a place in the World Cup 2026 round-of-16.

Roberto Martinez’s Portugal endured a mixed group stage campaign. After opening with a rampant 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan, the Selecao sputtered, registering successive draws against DR Congo and Colombia. Their scoreless stalemate with Colombia raised defensive red flags, with Martinez's backline facing 24 shots and yielding a worrying 1.70 expected goals against (xGA). However, boasting an average of 2.3 goals per game recently, their attacking potency remains undisputed. Midfield starlet Joao Neves is set to return to the starting lineup, while AC Milan winger Rafael Leao is aggressively pushing for a starting berth.

Croatia booked their spot in the last-32 following a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Ghana. Manager Zlatko Dalic enjoys the luxury of a fully fit squad and will welcome back Manchester City center-back Josko Gvardiol to shore up the defense. The Vatreni have won seven of their last ten outings, but their expansive style has left them vulnerable at the back, conceding 1.5 goals per match on average. Crucially for punters, both teams have scored in 70% of Croatia's recent fixtures, highlighting their high-scoring nature.

While Croatia possess the tournament pedigree and midfield harmony to dictate tempos, Portugal’s superior individual quality in the final third should ultimately tip the scales. With both sides packed with elite attacking talent, this shapes up to be an open, highly entertaining affair.

Prediction: Portugal 2-1 Croatia