Two of Europe’s most seasoned World Cup teams, Portugal and Croatia, are set to face off in the round of 32 on Wednesday, July 2, at BMO Stadium in Canada. This match marks the first-ever tournament meeting between these two footballing giants, both led by legends nearing the end of their World Cup journeys: Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, for Portugal, and Luka Modric, 40, for Croatia.

Portugal's squad depth has proven beneficial, as head coach Roberto Martinez faces the challenge of making strategic player rotations. Their group stage performance included:

• A draw against DR Congo
• A commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan
• A scoreless draw against Colombia

As Portugal looks to capitalize on its attacking options, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix are expected to exploit gaps in Croatia’s defense, which has faced scrutiny despite their solid health.

Conversely, Croatia’s path to the knockout stage has been rocky, conceding four goals to England in their opener but managing narrow victories against Panama and Ghana. Questions linger around their defensive capability, which will be crucial in this match. Head coach Zlatko Dalic has managed Modric’s minutes carefully, relying on him and Andrej Kramaric to challenge Portugal’s defense.

How to Watch Portugal vs. Croatia

• Date: Thursday, July 2
• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• Location: BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario
• TV: Fox (English), Telemundo (Spanish)
• Live Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

Odds

• Portugal: +1250
• Draw: +700
• Croatia: -600

Predicted Starting Lineups

Portugal: Diogo Costa; Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha; Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix; Cristiano Ronaldo
Croatia: Dominik Livakovic; Josip Stanisic, Josip Sutalo, Marin Pongracic, Josko Gvardiol; Petar Sucic, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic; Martin Baturina, Ante Budimir, Ivan Perisic

Prediction

Despite Croatia’s recent recovery, their struggles against European teams could prove decisive. Portugal is favored to win, with a predicted score of 2-1.