The Last Dance: One of Ronaldo or Modrić Goes Out on Thursday Night
Available in USSet the coffee on. Just before midnight our time, two of the greatest footballers most of us have ever watched walk out at BMO Field knowing one of them is finished at the World Cup for good. Cristiano Ronaldo is 40. Luka Modrić is 41. Between them they hold six Ballons d’Or and the better part of two decades of Real Madrid memories, and Thursday’s Round of 32 tie guarantees that one of them loses and goes home. If you grew up watching these two, this is unmissable telly — heat warning in Toronto or not.
Old friends, one last time
Ronaldo and Modrić were team-mates at the Bernabéu through the great years; on Thursday they’re on opposite sides of a knockout. It is, in all likelihood, the final World Cup for both. That’s the frame around everything else here — every touch either man takes could be his last on this stage. For the neutral Irish viewer with no dog in the fight, it doesn’t get much more poignant than that.
The form line
Portugal came second in Group K on 5 points — a 1-1 draw with DR Congo, a 5-0 rout of Uzbekistan and a goalless stalemate with Colombia. Ronaldo still leads the line, with Rafael Leão, Bruno Fernandes and João Félix in support, and Portugal report no notable injuries.
Croatia finished second in Group L on 6 points, losing 4-2 to England but beating Panama and Paraguay, and they arrive with a clean bill of health. Modrić and Mateo Kovačić still run the midfield, with Joško Gvardiol anchoring the back. History favours Portugal — the sides have met ten times, Portugal winning seven — but the most recent meeting was a 1-1 draw in the Nations League in November 2024, which tells you how tight this could be.
The odds — and a market on the move
Portugal are 4/5 to win in 90 minutes, the draw is 5/2 and Croatia 4/1 (as of the morning of 2 July 2026, converted to fractional). The eye-catcher is the movement: Croatia have been backed hard overnight, their price cut by almost half, while Portugal have drifted on the to-advance and outright lines. On the trophy market Portugal are out at 16/1, and if you fancy a sentimental flutter, Ronaldo is a distant Golden Boot outsider at 23/1 or bigger.
The Irish neutral’s angle
With no Irish side in this tournament, nights like this are what we tune in for — two legends, a knockout, and a story that writes itself. The value, if there is any, is in respecting Croatia’s midfield control: the 5/2 on the draw looks fair in a game that has “extra time” written all over it, and the Croatia handicap has appeal at the euro-priced Irish books. But this is a heart-over-head occasion as much as a betting one. Our Portugal page tracks Ronaldo’s run, and Thursday’s other ties are in our 2 July tips.
Odds shown are converted to fractional format for Irish bookmakers and were accurate as of the timestamp noted; always check the live price before betting. 18+, gamble responsibly.
