02 July,2026 07:39 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric (Pic: AFP)
Portugal will face Croatia in a thrilling Round of 32 clash at the FIFA World Cup 2026. This will also be a face-off between two football legends, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric.
Providing his insights ahead of this encounter, former Indian national team captain and current Zee 5 FIFA World Cup 2026 expert Bhaichung Bhutia analysed the tactical strengths and weaknesses of both Portugal and Croatia.
Portugal's road to the knockouts was marked with struggle after an unexpected opening draw against DR Congo and a stalemate against Colombia. Despite these mixed performances, Bhutia maintains that the pressure of elimination football could motivate the Portuguese squad.
"I do not see Croatia knocking them out. Portugal are definitely a contender, though we have not seen them play like one so far. But knockout stages are different; they possess the quality to turn up with a completely different level of performance. I think we will see a different side to them in the knockouts," Bhutia said.
While superstar Ronaldo remains a focal point of the Portuguese team, Bhutia pointed out that modern Portugal boasts far greater depth and is less reliant on its talismanic forward.
"Portugal has the overall quality to get the job done. They have players who can make a massive difference on their own, whereas the big question is whether their creative midfield can consistently carve out chances for Ronaldo," he added.
Croatia displayed their trademark tournament resilience by overcoming an opening loss to England with successive wins against Ghana and Panama. Having finished as runners-up in 2018 and third in 2022, Croatia have proven themselves to be knockout specialists.
However, Bhutia feels that this current Croatian generation lacks some of the sharpness seen in previous tournaments, but backs star midfielder Luka Modric to come good against Portugal.
"Over the years, Croatia has been a resilient team that always finds a way to get results. However, I do not think they have that same quality this time around. They have brilliant players like Modric, but age is not on their side. They have lost a lot of pace, and the game has slowed down for them," he explained.
"If Croatia is to get anything out of this match, Luka Modric absolutely has to have the bigger impact. Portugal do not solely rely on Ronaldo, but Croatia will absolutely have to look towards Modric today," Bhutia said.
(With ANI inputs)
