Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia places confidence on Portugal to beat Croatia but he feels European Selecao are lacking in this department

Bhaichung Bhutia placed all his trust on the European Selecao to get the job done and advance to the Round of 16, believing that Cristiano Ronaldo and co have enough quality to turn things around with a different level of performance

Published: July 2, 2026, 3:42 PM IST

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Players of Portugal attend a training session ahead of the round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Toronto Stadium in Toronto, Canada, July 1, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua via IANS)

Ahead of the massive FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between tournament favorites Portugal and last edition’s Bronze medallist Croatia, former Indian footballer Bhaichung Bhutia had his say on the possible winner of the fixture which takes place tomorrow on July 2nd, Friday from 4:30AM (IST) onwards at the Toronto Stadium.

This could possibly be the last game for both the teams’ legendary players – Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric – who are playing their record 6th FIFA World Cup, a feat only 4 players have achieved thus far with the other two players being Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Mexico’s veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

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While Luka Modric has a silver and a bronze medal to his name, Cristiano Ronaldo is yet to have a podium finish. As a matter of fact, Cristiano’s best outing in the FIFA World Cup has been a 4th place finish, that too, way back in 2006.

Portugal’s main aim is to get as deep as they can in the tournament, not only for the country’s pride but also for the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo who has been subject to immense criticism ever since the start of the 2026 edition across the United States of America, Mexico and Canada.

Bhaichung Bhutia feels Portugal are top contenders but doubts their creativity in midfield

On the eve of Portugal’s tie against Croatia, Bhaichung Bhutia placed all his trust on the European Selecao to get the job done and advance to the Round of 16, believing that Cristiano Ronaldo and co have enough quality to turn things around with a “different level of performance”.

“I don’t see Croatia knocking them out. Portugal are definitely contenders, though we haven’t seen them play like one so far. But knockout stages are different; they possess the quality to turn up with a completely different level of performance. I think we will see a different side to them in the knockouts,” Bhaichung Bhutia said.

Bhaichung Bhutia then affirmed that Portugal does have players who can create massive impact on their own but he remained doubtful if the midfield can create enough opportunities for their star man Cristiano Ronaldo up front.

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“Portugal has the overall quality to get the job done. They have players who can make a massive difference on their own, whereas the big question is whether their creative midfield can consistently carve out chances for Ronaldo,” Bhutia added.