The FIFA World Cup 2026 continues with a significant Round of 32 clash between Portugal and Croatia on July 2, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. This European matchup features a Portuguese squad that finished second in its group, a rare occurrence for a pre-tournament favorite, and a resilient Croatian team looking to build on its recent World Cup knockout stage success.
Star forward Cristiano Ronaldo, potentially playing in his final World Cup, will participate in his eighth career World Cup knockout match. He is still seeking his first goal in this stage of the tournament.
Portugal's path to the Round of 32 saw them finish behind their group leader. Croatia, after an opening loss to England, secured their advancement by defeating Panama and Ghana. This marks Croatia's third consecutive appearance in the World Cup knockouts, following a third-place finish in the previous tournament and a runner-up finish in 2018.
The winner of this match will proceed to the Round of 16, where they will face the victor of the Spain vs. Austria game.
Fans seeking to watch the match can tune into FOX for English commentary and Telemundo for Spanish broadcasts. For those without cable, live TV streaming services offer a way to watch the game. DIRECTV is offering a five-day free trial, which can be used to watch the match, with their Choice plan including FOX, FS1, and Telemundo. Alternatively, a free trial of FOX One is available, providing access to all World Cup matches for a monthly fee after the trial period.
Notable players for Portugal include goalkeepers Diogo Costa and Rui Silva, defenders like Rúben Dias and João Cancelo, midfielders such as Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, and forwards including Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonçalo Ramos, and João Félix. Croatia's roster features goalkeepers Dominik Livakovic and Dominik Kotarski, defenders Josip Stanisic and Joško Gvardiol, midfielders Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić, and forwards Andrej Kramarić and Ante Budimir.