Who will Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal face in Round of 32 of FIFA World Cup 2026?

Seleção finished second in Group K after a goalless draw against Colombia

Miami Stadium in Florida, United States of America, witnessed an epic showdown between Colombia and Portugal to determine the fate of the group. A draw would have been enough for Colombia, but Portugal needed all three points to top the group.

Roberto Martinez’s side not only failed to score a goal but were lucky to grab a draw against Colombia, who were unarguably the best team on the pitch, created more chances, boasted an impressive xG of 1.63 and former Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez even scored, before the header was ruled offside.

After the game ended in a goalless draw against Colombia, Portugal now finished second in Group K with two draws and a win, with five points and a +5 goal difference.

Portugal were the highest-ranked team in their group and were expected to finish atop. Now that the draw against the South American outfit has completely changed a lot of permutations for Ronaldo’s Portugal.

In this article, we take a closer look at Portugal’s opponent in the Round of 32 and find out if Roberto Martinez’s men can get the better of their next opponents.

Portugal will face 2018 finalists, Croatia

The Toronto Stadium on July 3, 2026 at 4:30 AM IST will gear up to host the Round of 32 fixture between two European giants, Portugal and Croatia.

Croatia are the 11th best-ranked team in the world, according to the latest FIFA rankings. Had England not scored those two goals against Panama via Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, Croatia would have emerged as the table toppers in Group L.

Zlatko Dalic’s side suffered a 4-2 defeat against England in the opening game, but showed enough resilience to make a comeback in the next two games. They defeated Panama 1-0 and in a must-win game against Ghana, Croatia went on to win the game 2-1 to finish the group stage with six points.

Croatia clinched podium finishes in the last two editions of the FIFA World Cup

When it comes to the FIFA World Cup, the Balkan nation is arguably a very different side. Most importantly, they are led by Zlatko Dalic, who has guided Croatia to back-to-back semi-finals in the last two editions.

Their fading golden generation, despite not being one of the favourites went on to clinch a bronze medal in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Croatia have scored 5 goals so far and have conceded 5 as well, four of which came against Thomas Tuchel’s side.

They have too much experience in the squad. From captain Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, to Croatia’s leading goalscorer in major competitions, Ivan Perisic, they have a deadly squad on paper.

Moreover, Como attacking midfielder Baturina has been in terrific form alongside Bayern fullback Stanisic. Croatia have a balanced squad, and they will offer a formidable challenge to Portugal in the Round of 32 encounter.

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