Portugal vs Croatia preview 2026

In the early hours of Friday morning, we have got an interesting contest in the last 32. Portugal will be taking on Croatia, and it feels like a battle of the old stars as 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo takes on 40-year-old Luka Modric.

Portugal could only finish second in Group K despite being thought of as big favourites to win that group. Croatia also finished second in their group but winning it would have been a shock given they were against England in Group L.

Here are our three football betting tips and the best free bet offers ahead of Friday Morning’s clash in Toronto.

Draw and both teams to score

Portugal not being able to win Group K was a surprise to say the least given their usual exploits in major tournaments. They thrashed Uzbekistan 5-0 in the middle of two draws against DR Congo and Columbia.

There has been a lot of criticism thrown at manager Roberto Martinez for continuing to start veteran forward Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Real Madrid star has only scored twice, and both were against lowly Uzbekistan.

Now Portugal must face a Croatia side who also finished second in their group. After a 4-2 loss against England in their first game, Croatia managed to turn things around with 1-0 win against Panama and a 2-1 win against Ghana.

It felt like the reason that Croatia struggled against England was that they couldn’t deal with the pace of the England’s wingers. It is unlikely that they will find that the case against a Portuguese side who haven’t looked quick so far.

Expect both teams to get a goal but for this game to go into extra time and end up being a draw after 90 minutes.

Bruno Fernandes to have 1+ assist

Bruno Fernandes is the assist king, and it turns out it isn’t just when he plays for Manchester United. Last season he broke the Premier League record for the number of assists in one season with 21.

He has started all three of Portugal’s World Cup games and has managed to get one more assist to his name. It feels like Croatia will be tough to beat and for Portugal to score they will need their main midfielder to sprinkle some more magic.

Petar Sucic 1+ shot on target, Under 3.5 total goals, Bruno Fernandes 1+ assist

Petar Sucic has had a solid World Cup campaign, and another good game is likely to happen in this one. He has had two shots with one hitting the target over the three group games. He has also had one goal and one assist.

It is hard to see this game being a fast-attacking game. They have met three times in the past five years and all of them have ended up with three goals or less. Also, during the group stages Portugal and Croatia had under 3.5 goals in two out of three of their games.

Finally add Bruno Fernandes to have at least one assist. This year Fernandes has had three assists for Portugal as well as 21 for Manchester United and another one could easily come in this game.

Portugal and Croatia meet in a World Cup last-32 clash shaped by experience, mixed group-stage form and two legendary leaders in Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric. Portugal have looked below their usual level despite flashes of quality, while Croatia recovered well after losing to England. With both teams likely to keep things tight, bettors may want to compare prices, free bet offers and player markets at the best betting sites before placing a wager.