Portugal will not wear their traditional red home kit against Croatia in the World Cup round-of-32 tie due to a kit clash. Croatia's iconic red-and-white checkered shirt features red as a dominant colour, creating visual confusion for match officials, television viewers, and fans. FIFA regulations mandate that opposing teams must wear kits with clear contrast, forcing Portugal to switch to their light-coloured away kit.
Match Details and Venue
The highly anticipated match will take place at Toronto Stadium in Canada on Thursday, July 2, with kick-off at 7pm local time (midnight in the UK, 1am in most of mainland Europe). Both nations advanced to the knockout stage after finishing second in their respective groups.
Recent Meetings
Portugal and Croatia have faced each other recently in the 2024-25 Nations League, where Portugal won 2–1 in Lisbon and the teams drew 1–1 in Split. At Euro 2016, Ricardo Quaresma scored an extra-time winner in the last-16 to send Portugal through; they went on to win the tournament.
Team News
Cristiano Ronaldo has played every minute of this World Cup and is expected to continue, with manager Roberto Martinez reluctant to rest him. Joao Neves could return to the starting XI after featuring off the bench against Colombia. No fresh injuries have been reported. For Croatia, Luka Modric, 40, has played 58 minutes against England, 81 against Panama, and the full 90 versus Ghana; he is set to start alongside Mateo Kovacic. Josko Gvardiol may be recalled at left-back after being a surprise omission against Ghana.
TV and Streaming Information
BBC One will broadcast the match, with coverage starting at 11.30pm. The game can also be streamed live on iPlayer, with radio commentary available on BBC Five Live and talkSPORT.
