Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, former Real Madrid teammates and veteran captains who seem to defy the passage of time, will face off this Thursday in Toronto in a match that will determine whether Portugal and Croatia remain in the World Cup race for the Round of 16—or are eliminated, as one of them will inevitably be.
The National Team of the Escudos and the Vatreni will play at Toronto Stadium in the most symbolically charged match of the World Cup Round of 16, a matchup that will determine the opponent for the winner of the Spain-Austria series and has sparked immense excitement in a city with deep-rooted Portuguese and Croatian communities.
From Real Madrid Legends to Rivals
What Real Madrid brought together over the years, Toronto will now tear apart.
Ronaldo, 41, is playing in his sixth World Cup. Modric, who will turn 41 in September, is playing in his fifth.
Neither has won the World Cup, and only one will be able to continue pursuing the last title missing from their careers.
Ronaldo and Modric, who played together for six seasons at Real Madrid, have maintained a good relationship despite their contrasting personalities.
In September 2024, when the two faced off in a Nations League match between Portugal and Croatia, Ronaldo said with a laugh:
“The old-timers are still playing. It’s beautiful—it’s soccer. These are moments we’ll cherish in our hearts forever.”
And when Modric left Real Madrid, the Portuguese player posted on his social media:
“Thank you for everything, Luka. It was an honor to share so many moments with you at the club. I wish you the best of luck in the future.”
Portugal is counting on Cristiano to pull off a surprise victory
For his part, the Croatian midfielder said in 2023 that CR7 had been the best soccer player he had ever played with.
“What makes Cristiano Ronaldo so special is his work ethic. He always wants more and more; he’s never satisfied with what he does,” he explained.
Portugal heads into the match with more talent than certainty.
Roberto Martínez’s team finished second in Group K, behind Colombia.
After drawing with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, routing Uzbekistan 5-0, and closing out the group stage with a 0-0 draw against Colombia that reignited doubts about their play.
João Félix called for calm within the Portuguese national team and argued that two draws do not mean a loss of confidence.
He also weighed in on the debate surrounding Cristiano, who scored two goals against Uzbekistan but was barely noticeable against Colombia.
For Martínez, however, the captain remains the emotional and offensive linchpin of the national team.
Featuring Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Vitinha, Rafael Leão, and João Neves (Filed under: Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Modric).
Croatia is counting on Modric’s experience
Croatia arrives with less fanfare, but with the usual poise of a big-game team.
It finished second in Group L, behind England, after bouncing back with wins over Panama and Ghana.
Against the Africans, Modric stepped up once more when his team needed him most, providing an assist on the decisive goal that kept Croatia in the tournament.
Zlatko Dalic will look to slow down the pace of the game with Modric and Mateo Kovacic.
Defend with Josko Gvardiol and punish Portugal on the counterattack or on set pieces.
The question is whether Croatia will be able to hold its own physically against a Portugal team that plays deeper and more direct.
The atmosphere will also play a role.
Toronto was already Croatian territory during the group stage, with thousands of fans and a giant flag on the way to the stadium.
This time, the Portuguese community—numbering 140,000 in the Toronto metropolitan area—will join in, viewing their national team’s return to the city as a historic event (Filed under: Cristiano Ronaldo faces Modric).
Probable Lineups
Portugal: Diogo Costa; Diogo Dalot, Rúben Dias, Gonçalo Inácio, Nuno Mendes; João Neves, Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes; Bernardo Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Rafael Leão.
Head Coach: Roberto Martínez.
Croatia: Dominik Livakovic; Josip Stanisic, Josip Sutalo, Josko Gvardiol, Marin Pongracic; Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric, Mario Pasalic; Nikola Vlasic, Andrej Kramaric, and Ivan Perisic.
Head Coach: Zlatko Dalic.
Venue: Toronto Stadium, in Toronto (Canada).
Time: 7:00 p.m. (11:00 p.m. GMT).
With information from EFE
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