Dugout Discussion

Portugal v Croatia team news: Gvardiol benched again

2 July 2026 52 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
Share:

Runner-up plays runner-up as the second-place teams in Groups K and L face off in Toronto.

Portugal v Croatia gets underway at midnight BST.

A last-16 tie against Spain, who beat Austria 3-0 earlier today, awaits tonight’s winner.

TEAM NEWS

Roberto Martínez makes two changes to his Portugal side after the goalless draw with Colombia.

Joao Neves ($6.5m) and Rafael Leao ($7.8m) come in for Joao Felix ($6.5m) and Ruben Neves ($5.9m).

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic names the same starting XI that beat Ghana 2-1 on Saturday.

Having dropped out of the team in the final group game, Josko Gvardiol ($5.0m) again has to be content with a place on the bench.

LINE-UPS

Portugal XI: D Costa, Mendes, Veiga, Dias, Cancelo, Vitinha, J Neves, Leao, Fernandes, Neto, Ronaldo.

Subs: Semedo, Araujo, Dalot, Nunes, Ramos, B Silva, Felix, Sa, Inacio, Trincao, Guedes, R Neves, R Silva, S Costa, Conceicao.

Croatia XI: Livakovic, Perisic, Pongracic, Sutalo, Stanisic, Kovacic, Modric, Baturina, P Sucic, Vlasic, Budimir.

Subs: Gvardiol, Caleta-Sar, Moro, Kramaric, Pandur, Mario Pasalic, Jakic, Fruk, Matanovic, L Sucic, Vuskovic, Kotarski, Marco Pasalic, Erlic, Musa.

52 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    1 hour, 49 mins ago

    *tumbleweed*

    Open Controls
  2. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 39 mins ago

    Portugal better of the two, but very wasteful.

    Croatia attacking play non-existent.

    Open Controls
    1. PartyTime
      • 5 Years
      1 hour, 2 mins ago

      In for the 2nd half. Hope I don't leave before the hydration break

      Open Controls
  3. Herger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    1 hour, 22 mins ago

    ‘Utd set to test Bayern resolve with £75m with Olise bid’. If true, that seems like a deal that would suit all parties. 50% profit for Bayern for a guy they signed only 2 years ago.

    Open Controls
    1. PartyTime
      • 5 Years
      1 hour, 15 mins ago

      Good for the geordies if he chooses to play in the black & white strip

      Open Controls
      1. Herger
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 4 Years
        1 hour, 13 mins ago

        what do you mean mate?

        Open Controls
        1. PartyTime
          • 5 Years
          7 mins ago

          stripe*

          02/May

          https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/40068443/manchester-united-leading-race-sign-michael-olise-sources

          Open Controls
  4. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 18 mins ago

    Croatia 1-0

    Open Controls
    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      1 hour, 9 mins ago

      Perisic goal, no assist.

      Open Controls
      1. CoracAld2831
        • 5 Years
        1 hour, 6 mins ago

        Oops. I guess Stanisic assist.

        Open Controls
        1. CoracAld2831
          • 5 Years
          1 hour, 4 mins ago

          Assist revoked, it seems.

          No assist.

          Open Controls
  5. PartyTime
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 18 mins ago

    Croatia lead 1-0

    Perisic G. Stanisic A

    Open Controls
  6. Silecro
    • 8 Years
    1 hour, 17 mins ago

    PEEEEEEERIIISIIIICCCCC

    Open Controls
  7. McGurn
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 17 Years
    1 hour, 13 mins ago

    I dont play the World cup Fantasy game but as a football person, surely Ronaldo has to go off?!!!

    Open Controls
  8. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 11 mins ago

    1-1 Ronaldo

    Open Controls
    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      1 hour, 2 mins ago

      Off side.

      Open Controls
    2. PartyTime
      • 5 Years
      1 hour, 2 mins ago

      41 years old man offside. No surprise

      Open Controls
  9. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 7 mins ago

    Portugal subs 4 players including Fernandes.

    Open Controls
  10. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 6 mins ago

    Might be penalty for Portugal.

    Open Controls
    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      1 hour, 5 mins ago

      Given.

      Open Controls
  11. PartyTime
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 6 mins ago

    Ronaldo begs for the pen and gets it

    Open Controls
  12. lilmessipran
    • 13 Years
    1 hour, 5 mins ago

    Looks like a penalty for Portugal

    Open Controls
  13. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 4 mins ago

    Ronaldo 1-1.

    Open Controls
    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      7 mins ago

      via penalty kick.

      Open Controls
    2. Herger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      4 mins ago

      The GOAT

      Open Controls
      1. McGurn
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 17 Years
        2 mins ago

        You cant actually believe he is the best player ever" Do you?

        Open Controls
  14. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    51 mins ago

    Croatia 2-1.

    Open Controls
    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      2 mins ago

      Could be offside.

      Open Controls
      1. CoracAld2831
        • 5 Years
        1 min ago

        Offiside. No goal.

        Open Controls
  15. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    49 mins ago

    Wow. Ronaldo subbed out.

    Open Controls
    1. The Bandit
      • 15 Years
      5 mins ago

      The only wow, is why it took so long.

      Open Controls
      1. McGurn
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 17 Years
        just now

        Should have been subbed off 30 mins ago or, better still, not even start.

        Open Controls
  16. EmreCan Hustle
    • 13 Years
    46 mins ago

    I wonder why Martinez doesn't rate Nunes?

    Open Controls
  17. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    38 mins ago

    Portugal 2-1.

    Open Controls
    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      3 mins ago

      Ramos goal, Leao assist.

      Open Controls
  18. PartyTime
    • 5 Years
    37 mins ago

    This game was a 55-45 game. Croatia played really good football. So unfortunate

    Open Controls
  19. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    29 mins ago

    Scenes

    Open Controls
  20. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    28 mins ago

    2-2

    Open Controls
    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      2 mins ago

      Gvardiol goal.

      Open Controls
      1. CoracAld2831
        • 5 Years
        1 min ago

        Yeah that's offside.

        Open Controls
  21. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    28 mins ago

    Offside

    Open Controls
  22. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    26 mins ago

    How do you call that?

    Open Controls
  23. McGurn
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 17 Years
    25 mins ago

    The memories for generations that will forever be destroyed by VAR. The most anti football creation in the history of football. All genuine fans despise this.

    Open Controls
    1. Feanor
      • 17 Years
      15 mins ago

      He was yards offside. Cope.

      Open Controls
      1. The Bandit
        • 15 Years
        10 mins ago

        His position wasn’t the issue.

        Open Controls
      2. McGurn
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 17 Years
        10 mins ago

        That is very very questionable! But either way, is your approach to football purely on technicality? Do you even like the sport on an emotional level? Clear decisions of course (Lampard goal etc) but are you suggesting that all emotion and entertainment should be removed on a 1% may or maybe not decision? Wow mate.

        Open Controls
        1. Feanor
          • 17 Years
          5 mins ago

          Nothing was removed. The correct decision was made.

          Open Controls
          1. McGurn
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 17 Years
            just now

            Ok mate, but your attitude to football makes me sad. I have an emotional attachment to football, but you don't, which is fine. Each to their own i guess, noone is right or wrong here. All the best.

            Open Controls
    2. PartyTime
      • 5 Years
      12 mins ago

      Man, the celebration was wild. Croatians hard done by. VAR just made it a bitter pill to take. If I was the ref I would deem it as a deliberate touch by Veiga(attempting a backpass to Costa) , even though the Croatian player was off & then award the goal to Croatia.

      You don't just kill the fun... Think the ref tried his best but the VAR kept insisting that he should disallow it. Infantino probably had a stake in this.

      Open Controls
      1. McGurn
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 17 Years
        8 mins ago

        Infantino is more corrupt than Blatter. And that is saying something!

        Open Controls
        1. PartyTime
          • 5 Years
          1 min ago

          I agree. Even Ceferin is worse than Blatter tbh

          Open Controls
  24. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    22 mins ago

    Match ends finally

    Portugal win, advance and face Spain next on R16.

    Open Controls

You need to be logged in to post a comment.