Portugal vs. Croatia headlines Thursday, July 2’s World Cup Round of 32 action, kicking off at 7:00 p.m. ET on FOX. After finishing second in Group K, Portugal has a 1.36x payout to advance vs. Croatia, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Croatia comes off back-to-back wins in the group stage over Panama (1-0) and Ghana (2-1), while Portugal tied with DR Congo (1-1) and Colombia (0-0) in group play. FIFA rankings have Portugal (eighth) and Croatia (13th) in the top 15, making this one of the most anticipated Group of 32 matchups.
Find our full Portugal vs. Croatia prediction for the World Cup Round of 32 HERE
Plenty of stars will be on the pitch, from Portugal ST Cristiano Ronaldo, AM Bruno Fernandez, and MF Vitinha to Croatia MF Luka Modrić and MF Mateo Kovacic. Which players could thrive in Thursday night’s primetime collision?
Below, we’ll circle our Portugal vs. Croatia picks for World Cup 2026 player projections on PrizePicks.
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Top Portugal vs. Croatia Picks for World Cup Round of 32 – Thursday, July 2
While Croatia carries a 2-0-1 record compared to Portugal’s 1-2-0 mark in World Cup 2026, Ronaldo & Co. are still viewed as the better team. That’s proven by several stats courtesy of FotMob.
For example, we saw Croatia’s defense shredded on Matchday 1 for 4 goals, 22 shots, and 11 shots on target vs. England. Croatia’s speed is a clear worry. While Portugal ST Cristiano Ronaldo is 41 years old, this team is much, much more — including AM Bruno Fernandes, RW Pedro Neto, MF Vitinha, and more.
Portugal carries a dominant 62.2% average possession (seventh), ahead of Croatia’s 53.2% average possession (21st). If the Vatreni cannot control the possession and tempo of this game, Portugal’s attack could fire away — similar to what we saw in their 5-0 Matchday 2 win over Uzbekistan.
Croatia would be wise to avoid Portugal LB Nuno Mendes, which may mean attacking the left side of the pitch. That turns our head to Croatia LW Martin Baturina.
With that said, it’s time to jump in to some of the top Portugal vs. Croatia picks and player stats for Thursday’s World Cup Round of 32 match — featuring projection on PrizePicks.
Portugal ST Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Croatia: 2.5 Shots (Discount)
PrizePicks is adding to the hype for Portugal vs. Croatia by offering a special Discount on Cristiano Ronaldo’s shots, dropping his 4-shot projection to 2.5 for a limited time.
- Ronaldo has been up and down through three group stage matches, posting 3 shots with none on target on Matchday 1. He followed that with 7 shots, 5 shots on target, and 2 goals vs. Uzbekistan. CR7 went back into the shadows with 3 shots and 1 shot on target on Matchday 3.
- But that’s the beauty of this discount; even on an off day, Ronaldo has still surpassed 2.5 shots in all three World Cup appearances.
- England’s the best attack Croatia has faced, and they yielded 22 shots in the loss.
- Croatia tallies only 8.67 pressed sequences per match (16th-fewest), meaning the defense often sits back. If that’s the case, that should mean more possession and shots for Portugal.
- Opponents have taken 80.56% of their shots in the box vs. Croatia (highest). If Ronaldo is getting plenty of good looks around the goal, a busy night could be ahead.
Combine Portugal + Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup picks for bigger payouts on PrizePicks.
Portugal MF Vitinha vs. Croatia: 93.5 Passes Attempted
- This Round of 32 match could come down to the midfield. Both teams want to control the ball and tempo of the match, and Portugal’s midfield could have the upper hand.
- That’s anchored by Vitinha posting 93.3 pass attempts per match at World Cup 2026, per Opta Analyst.
- In his first two appearances, the Paris Saint-Germain star recorded an absurd 113.0 passes attempted per match — including a record-setting 121 successful passes on Matchday 1.
- Matchday 3 brought a lowered passing attempt total of 54, but Vitinha set another record with a 100% accuracy in the 0-0 draw.
- Considering Vitinha’s 96.4% pass accuracy and 112.12 touches per 90 (97th percentile), Portugal will likely keep feeding their midfielder on Thursday night.
Combine Portugal + Vitinha World Cup picks for bigger payouts on PrizePicks.
Croatia MF Luka Modrić vs. Portugal: 60.5 Passes Attempted
- On Matchday 1, Luka Modrić played for only 58 minutes with 27 passes attempted.
- In the final two fixtures of the group stage, Modrić tallied 85.5 minutes and 84.0 passes attempted per match.
- Croatia controlled possession 58-42 and 53-47 in the last two fixtures, but that run may end against Portugal’s high-quality midfield of Vitinha, João Neves, and Bruno Fernandes.
- At 40 years old, Modrić recorded 82.8 minutes per match over 34 appearances for Milan in the 2025-26 Serie A season. He’s more than capable of playing full matches, as we saw in the two final group fixtures.
- Croatia will likely lean on their experienced midfielder Modrić in the underdog role tonight. If that’s the case, his high volume could keep up.
Combine Croatia + Luka Modrić World Cup picks for bigger payouts on PrizePicks.
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Ronaldo, Vitinha, and Modrić are just a few of the stars on show for tonight’s Portugal vs. Croatia match in the Round of 32. Who could shine in tonight’s World Cup knockout stage fixture?
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