Croatia vs. Portugal Odds, Picks & Predictions 1/32, July 2
After all the hoopla and the run up, Day 5 of the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup continues with a matchup as Croatia takes on Portugal Thursday afternoon and we have you covered with our Croatia vs. Portugal prediction. Croatia closed group play with a 2-1 win over Ghana Saturday night in their previous contest. Portugal drew Colombia 0-0 in their group play finale their last time out Saturday afternoon. This marks the first time that the two sides have met in World Cup play. Let’s break down this Croatia vs. Portugal matchup.
Don’t forget to check out all the World Cup odds as the tournament progresses!
Croatia Seeking Another Deep Run
Croatia in the World Cup
In 2026, Croatia makes their seventh World Cup appearance overall and their fourth consecutive here. The Vatreni hold an all-time record of 15 wins, eight draws and 10 losses in World Cup action. They look to follow up their recent runs after finishing as the runner-up in 2018 and in third p\ace in 2022. Croatia entered the World Cup ranked 11th in the latest FIFA world rankings. The Vatreni finished group play with a record of two wins, no draws and one loss. They finished second in Group L, finishing one point behind England for the top spot.
Croatia Last Match
Against Ghana, Croatia earned a much-needed three points in their group play finale, which vaulted them into second place in the group. The Vatreni owned a 53% to 47% advantage in terms of possession in the match. In addition, Croatia held a 4-1 advantage in terms of shots on goal though they did lose in terms of expected goals by a 0.64 to 0.42 margin in the match. The first half started slowly before Petar Sucic got Croatia on the board with a goal in the 31st minute of play. Mateo Kovacic drew the assist on that goal. That gave the Vatreni a 1-0 advantage at the half.
In the second half, Croatia played conservatively and it nearly cost them. Just moments after Ghana had the tying goal waved off for offside, the Black Stars tied the score in the 73rd minute. Croatia regrouped after allowing the equalizer. Nikola Vlasic scored in the 83rd minute off a feed from Luka Modric to give the Vatreni a 2-1 advantage. Croatia didn’t give up another scoring chance, sending them to the victory. Dominik Livaković makes his 11th career start between the sticks for Croatia in World Cup p\ay here. He has a record of four wins, four draws and two losses with three clean sheets to his credit.
Portugal Shooting to Reach Round of 16
Portugal in the World Cup
In 2026, Portugal makes their ninth all-time appearance in the World Cup and their seventh straight here. The last time they missed was back in 1998. Portugal has an all-time record of 18 victories, eight draws and 12 defeats in World Cup action entering this match. The Seleção das Quinas entered World Cup play ranked fifth in the FIFA world rankings. Portugal finished group play with one win, two draws and no losses. The Seleção das Quinas finished second in Group K with the draw, two points behind Colombia for the top spot.
Portugal Last Match
Aganst Colombia, with first place in the group potentially at stake, neither side was able to do much offensively. The Seleção das Quinas lost possession by a 55% to 45% margin in the match. In addition, Portugal fell 6-2 in shots on goal and 1.70 to 0.93 in expected goals in the match. Portugal’s best chances in the opening half came just before the half but couldn’t find a way past Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas. As a result, the two teams went to the half with the score tied at zero.
In the second half, Portugal was outplayed as Colombia pressed them in an effort to score the first goal of the match. The Seleção das Quinas gave up several prime opportunities in the second half. Portugal nearly gave up the go-ahead goal in the 91st minute but a VAR review showed that Davinson Sánchez was offsides by a toe. Colombia kept the pressure up but Portugal keeper Diogo Costa did the job in keeping them off the board. As a result, the match ended up as a scoreless draw. Costa projects as the starting goalkeeper for Portugal as he makes his ninth career World Cup start. He has a record of four wins, two draws and two losses with three clean sheets on the books. Be sure to stay up to date on Portugal’s World Cup odds throughout the tournament.
10 x $100 bet match in FanCash Croatia vs. Portugal Prediction
These teams are going to clash in a defensive struggle. Croatia is a solid defensive team in the midfield and they can neutralize the Portugal attack. While Cristiano Ronaldo has shown flashes of his skill in the group stages, the bottom line is that he’s 41 years old and isn’t the same player he once was. Croatia settled down defensively after their opener against England when they conceded four goals. The Vatreni conceded just one goal in their other two matches in the group stage. Chances are few and far between in this one so play the under.
Our Prediction: Under 2.5 Goals (FanDuel, -124)
This one is more of a gut call. Portugal continues to trot Ronaldo out there in hopes that he’ll have moments as he did against Uzbekistan. In that match, he scored twice and had five shots on goal out of seven total shot attempts. Meanwhile, in the other two matches in the group stage, he has no goals, six shot attempts and just one shot on goal. Croatia is an experienced team that can shut opposing sides down. They can score as well and they exploit Portugal’s seeming reluctance to remove Ronaldo from the pitch. Take Croatia to advance here.
Our Prediction: Croatia ML (FanDuel, +220)
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