Portugal vs Croatia: Ronaldo and Modric's decisive battle in Toronto
Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric face off in the World Cup round of 32 in Toronto, potentially their last match in the tournament. Both teams must contend with a heat wave as they fight for a quarterfinal spot.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric will meet in a poignant round of 32 encounter in Toronto on Tuesday, with two football legends potentially playing their last World Cup matches. Portugal and Croatia face off in a knockout clash where both nations seek to advance.
Official lineups
Portugal: Costa; Mendes, Veiga, Dias, Cancelo; Neves, Vitinha; Conceiçao, Fernandes, Neto or Silva; Ronaldo.
Croatia: Livakovic; Perisic, Pongracic or Gvardiol, Sutalo, Stanisic; Kovacic, Modric; Baturina, Sucic, Vlasic or Pasalic; Budimir.
Road to the round of 32
Portugal progressed from their group with mixed results: they defeated Uzbekistan 5-0 in a dominant display, but struggled to find rhythm in draws against DR Congo (1-1) and Colombia (0-0), finishing second. Roberto Martinez's side will need to elevate their game significantly to justify their pre-tournament status as favorites.
Croatia arrive in Toronto as battle-hardened competitors seeking to replicate their deep tournament runs. Luka Modric continues to defy his age at 40, supported by veteran winger Ivan Perisic.
Heat wave factor
Both teams will have to contend with an extreme heat wave affecting Toronto, potentially a decisive factor in this knockout tie.
