TORONTO — International soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will face Croatia in the knockout Round of 32 in the World Cup – Thursday, July 2 – at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada. The match starts at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Want to tune in but you’ve cut ties with your cable provider? You still have options.
The game will air on FOX and in Spanish on Telemundo. Fans can also get a Spanish language broadcast on Peacock.
Several streaming services will broadcast the game live and you can watch on Fubo (free trial), DIRECTV (free trial) and Sling with Sling Select for $19.99 per month. FOX on Sling is available in select markets.
Peacock is available for $10.99/month.
Portugal went 1-0-2 in Group K in its first three World Cup games, with a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan and a 1-1 draw vs. Congo DR and a 0-0 draw vs. Colombia.
Croatia dropped its first match in a 2-1 decision to England, but beat Panama 1-0 and Ghana 2-1 to advance to the knockout stage of the tournament.
For Portugal, they are looking to prove that they belong on the national stage. With great individual talent, they’re looking to turn that into a long run. Croatia, on the other hand, is looking to begin yet another long run through the tournament. They made the final in 2018 and the semifinals in 2022.
Despite this, Portugal is the expected favorite. It will the 11th all-time meeting between the two sides.
Watch Croatia vs. Portugal for free on FuboTV
Players to watch
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most famous athletes on the planet, and he’ll lead Portugal into the matchup.
Through three World Cup games thus far, he has two goals and 13 shots, six of which were on target. He’s earned a start in each of the team’s three games. The 41-year-old scored just one goal in the 2022 World Cup, and is looking to improve upon that figure this time around.
For Croatia, they’re led by 40-year-old Luka Modric. He doesn’t have a goal this World Cup – yet – but the midfielder was “truly fantastic” as his coach noted after the group stage. He became the oldest player to record a World Cup assist in the team’s last game vs. Ghana.
Modric, the leader of the team, will try and lead them once again in his last World Cup.
Watch Croatia vs. Portugal for free on DIRECTV
Croatian expected starting lineup
Dominik Livakovic (GK), Josip Stanisic, Duje Caleta-Car, Josko Gvardiol, Martin Erlic, Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric (c), Petar Sucic, Mario Pasalic, Nikola Vlasic, Andrej Kramaric.
Portugal expected starting lineup
Diogo Costa (GK), Diogo Dalot, Ruben Dias, Gonçalo Inacio, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes (c), Francisco Conceicao, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Leao.
What’s next for the winner?
The winner of the matchup will play on July 6 at 3 p.m. Eastern. They’ll face the winner of Spain/Austria in the Round of 16 game in Arlington, Texas.
The United States, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Belgium or Senegal will be waiting on the other side in the quarterfinals.
The path will be a difficult one, but it all starts with the matchup in Toronto.
Who is announcing Portugal vs. Croatia?
On FOX, Derek Rae will be on the play-by-play, with Rob Green as his analyst. Katie Shanahan will be the reporter, while Mark Clattenburg will offer assistance as the rules analyst.
What are the latest odds for Portugal vs. Croatia?
Note: These odds are as of Wednesday afternoon.
Moneyline (90 min.): Portugal -125; Croatia +380; Draw +260
Check out more information on how to watch the Portugal vs. Croatia World Cup game today on TV and streaming services:
What: Portugal vs. Croatia Round of 32 World Cup 2026 matchup
When: Thursday, July 2, 2026
Time: 7 p.m. Eastern
Where: BMO Field | Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Channel: FOX, Telemundo
Best streaming options: Fubo (free trial), DIRECTV (free trial), Sling, Peacock
Information from the AP was included in this report and AI might have been used to assist with this story.