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Portugal Advances, Ronaldo Plays Full, Faces Croatia in Toronto

6/28/2026

33 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Portugal qualified for round of 32 after finishing second in Group K, with Cristiano Ronaldo playing 270 minutes.
Coach Roberto Martínez said resting Ronaldo like Messi or Haaland would be childish and affirmed his stamina, noting Ronaldo’s brace in the 5-0 win and xG 0.17, xA 0.03 in the 0-0 Colombia draw on June 27.
Portugal will face Croatia in Toronto on Thursday, which could set up a round-of-16 clash with Spain.

History

Historical Context

In 2006 Portugal, coached by Luiz Felipe Scolari, reached the World Cup semi-finals and finished fourth, with 21-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo scoring once. Euro 2024 sees the same Ronaldo, now 38, start and score a brace as Roberto Martínez refuses to rest him. The pattern highlights Portugal’s historic reliance on star players ahead of matches with Croatia and Spain.

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Story summary

Portugal qualified for round of 32 after finishing second in Group K, with Cristiano Ronaldo playing 270 minutes.
Coach Roberto Martínez said resting Ronaldo like Messi or Haaland would be childish and affirmed his stamina, noting Ronaldo’s brace in the 5-0 win and xG 0.17, xA 0.03 in the 0-0 Colombia draw on June 27.
Portugal will face Croatia in Toronto on Thursday, which could set up a round-of-16 clash with Spain.

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