After a patchy group-stage campaign, Portugal hopes to maintain its World Cup dream ahead of its Round of 32 match against Croatia.

After a 1-1 draw with DR Congo to start the tournament, Roberto Martínez’s team went on to defeat Uzbekistan 5-0. After that, Portugal’s last group game ended in a tie with Colombia, earning them a spot in the knockout stage and second place in Group K.

Croatia, on the other hand, advanced to the knockout stage by finishing second in Group L behind England.

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What is the FIFA ranking for Portugal?

Ahead of their Round of 32 clash in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Portugal presently sits at No. 8 in the official FIFA Men’s World Ranking, holding 1,764.86 points. This is a three-spot decline from their pre-tournament ranking of No. 5, a drop attributable to erratic group-stage results.

Their opponents, Croatia, enter the match ranked 13th in the world with 1,723.05 points. The Croatian team, who have a reputation for perseverance in big competitions, is still a dangerous knockout opponent even though they are not in the top 10.

The two sides are competing at the Toronto Stadium in Canada, with a place in the next round on the line. After an undefeated but uneven group stage, Portugal is seeking to pick up steam going into the match.

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Ronaldo is the first player in history to play in the World Cup knockout stages at 41 years of age or older. In fact, this was the first match in World Cup history to feature two outfield players who were at least 40 years old (teammates or opponents), as Ronaldo faced off against ex-Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric.