What to know
- Portugal and Croatia will face off in a FIFA World Cup knockout match at Toronto Stadium on July 2, featuring stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić.
- Tickets are in high demand, with resale prices on StubHub starting at nearly $3,000.
- Fans on social media are buzzing about the matchup, sharing jokes and excitement over the two soccer legends meeting in Toronto.
- Those without tickets can watch at FIFA FanFest or join rumoured viewing parties at LOCAL, in Little Portugal, and Father Kamber Croatian Park in Mississauga
Get ready to watch soccer megastars Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić play Toronto Stadium next Thursday.
On July 2, Toronto Stadium will hold its next FIFA World Cup match, a knockout stage match between Portugal and Croatia. The game will be held at 7 p.m. ET.
Portugal finished second in Group K after winning 5-0 to Uzbekistan and drawing to both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia.
Croatia finished as the winner of Group L with two wins and one loss. The team won against Ghana and Panama, and lost to England.
Modrić recently played in Croatia’s group stage game at Toronto Stadium. For Ronaldo, this will be the second time he will play on Toronto soil. In 2009, Real Madrid played a friendly match against Toronto FC, winning 5-1.
Tickets to Thursday’s game are currently selling on Stubhub for thousands of dollars, with the lowest priced ticket going for nearly $3000.
Torontonians react
Despite predictions by pundits and sports analyst models that Portugal will be among the top five teams in the entire tournament, some Torontonians on social media are already joking about Portugal losing to Croatia.
Evy Kwong, a Toronto-based journalist, wrote on X, “Imagine Ronaldo’s last world cup game takes place in liberty village lmfao.”
Another X user joked about both Portugal and Croatia being predominantly Catholic, tweeting, “Portugal vs. Croatia in Toronto is like the southern Ontario Catholic school match up from hell.”
Some other person commented on the craziness of watching Cristiano Ronaldo play Luka Modrić, writing, “All house construction in the GTA will stop on July 2nd, there will be no trades available.” You’re right, The Road Guy, everyone will probably be playing hooky to watch the match.
FIFA Fanfest and Watch parties
Can’t make it to the game in-person? As always, FIFA Fanfest, located at The Bentway and Fort York National Historic Site will broadcast the game, starting at 7 p.m.
Local Public Eatery on both 141 Adelaide St. and 171 East Liberty St. are rumoured to be broadcasting the match as well.
For matches involving Portugal, Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill on 1000 College St. has become World Cup central thanks to its hidden back patio fitted with screens and projectors.
Despite being further away from Toronto city limits, Father Kamber Croatian Park in Mississauga hosts epic World Cup parties and will be the place to be for Croatian fans.
