Portugal vs Croatia – Bet Builder Tips | 12-5 odds and prediction | talkSPORT

Portugal and Croatia will clash in a mouth-watering Round of 32 tie in Toronto in the early hours of Friday morning. 

Portugal were one of the pre-tournament favourites, but aside from their 5-0 win over minnows Uzbekistan, they haven’t produced any eye-catching performance that suggests they are genuine contenders. 

Croatia haven’t looked great either, but it would be very foolish to write off a team that has reached the semi-finals of the last two World Cups. The Balkan side know how knockout football works and none of the favourites will relish playing them at such an early stage of the competition.

So with that in mind, I’m swerving the match winner market and going for a Bet Builder. The one I’m placing is 12/5 and looks ideal for a match that could go either way.

🏆Top choice bet builder

Portugal vs Croatia match details

• Date: Friday, July 3, 2026
• Kick-off: 12am BST
• Venue: BMO Field (Toronto Stadium), Toronto, Canada
• Competition: FIFA World Cup Round of 32
• TV channel: BBC1 and BBC iPlayer

Our 12/5 Bet Builder: Both teams to score, Ronaldo to have over 2.5 shots, over 2.5 cards

This has the look of a tie that could go all the way to extra-time and maybe even penalties. The scoreline could well be 1-1 or someone might sneak a late winner, which brings both teams to score into play.

Ronaldo has almost looked like he’s trying too hard to shut his critics up and is shooting whenever the chance arises, while this looks set to be a match that could see referee Espen Eskas kept busy, given Croatia’s physical approach along with the dark arts that both teams are likely to employ.

Portugal vs Croatia bet builder breakdown

Both teams to score

Stat: Croatia have conceded in eight of their last nine matches in all competitions. They have also scored in all three of their World Cup matches.

Portugal have scored in two of their three matches, and they have too much attacking quality to not score against a Croatia team that looks vulnerable at the back.

Why: Croatia have seen off some of the biggest names in world football in the knockout stages of the previous two World Cups and reputations count for nothing.

I expect Portugal to score with the talent they have, but Croatia will find a way to get on the scoresheet. 

⚽ Bet on Both teams to score at 8/11 with SBK ⚽

Ronaldo over 2.5 shots

Why: Whatever anybody thinks about Ronaldo, one thing that can’t be disputed is his appetite for scoring goals. Whether he wants to break records or silence his critics, Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer keeps on going.

Stat: Even though his performances have been questioned by some, Ronaldo has still managed to have 11 shots at goal in this World Cup. He registered three against DR Congo, five against Uzbekistan and another three against Colombia.

⚽ Ronaldo over 2.5 shots at 2/9 with SBK ⚽

Over 2.5 cards

Why: Walking yellow cards like Pepe are no longer in the Portugal team, but they do still possess a combative midfield, with the likes of Bruno Fernandes no stranger to picking up cards.

Croatia are a competitive team and striker Ante Budimir has already committed five fouls at this competition and will be making his presence known to the Portuguese backline.

Stat: Croatia have picked up just two cards so far in this World Cup, but I expect that count to increase. Portugal picked up three cards against DR Congo when frustration got the better of them. Croatia will have noted this and will know how to exploit it.

⚽ Portugal vs Croatia Over 2.5 cards at 5/7 with SBK ⚽

How to place Portugal vs Croatia bet builder

To place your bet builder on Portugal vs Croatia follow the steps below: 

• Navigate to the World Cup section on your SBK app
• Find the Portugal vs Croatia match
• Click on the Bet Builder section and add both teams to score, Ronaldo to have over 2.5 shots and over 2.5 cards 

The combined odds are 12/5 and should be showing in your bet slip along with your three selections. Choose your stake and then take a moment to double-check everything looks right before submitting your bet.  

We also recommend you pay a visit to our World Cup betting offers page. Here you will find plenty more bookmakers that allow you to place bet builders. 

Two of my personal favourites are Betfred and bet365. Betfred now allows your bet to continue if your player is subbed off (like Ronaldo in this match), while bet365 includes extra-time if you include a player to score anytime in your bet builder.

Stats that matter for your bet

• Both teams to score: Portugal haven’t hit top form just yet, but they have still found the net six times at the World Cup. They have also scored in ten of their last 13 matches in all competitions. Croatia have scored in all three of their World Cup matches.
• Ronaldo over 2.5 shots: The legendary striker has registered three or more shots at goal in all three of Portugal’s matches at the World Cup. On the bigger stage he is only going to be more determined to score and won’t hesitate to have a shot at goal when the chance arises.
• Over 2.5 cards: These two teams are very experienced and know how to push the boundaries. There haven’t been a huge number of cards so far at this World Cup, but this match looks set to break that trend.
• Croatia set to test Portugal’s endurance: Portugal look the stronger team on paper, but Croatia are gritty and will turn this into a battle of endurance and test Portugal’s patience.

Why we are backing this bet builder

This match looks tough to call on paper. It could go either way, but a look back at Croatia’s record in knockout football shows how hard they are to beat. 

They beat Japan and Brazil on penalties in the knockout stages at the 2022 World Cup and in 2018 they defeated Denmark and Russia in penalty shootouts, before seeing off England after extra-time in the semi-final. 

Croatia are just so difficult to beat, but they are vulnerable at the back, as England showed in their opening match of this tournament, which is why I expect both teams to score. 

Portugal’s whole strategy seems to be built around Ronaldo. As a result, it almost goes without saying that he will have plenty of efforts at goal. 

Finally, Croatia will know they can frustrate Portugal and will no doubt employ tactics to get under the skin of Roberto Martinez’s team. Portugal will attempt to give as good as they get, and I see no reason why referee Espen Eskas won’t be brandishing cards in this match.

Portugal vs Croatia Odds

Portugal are odds-on favourites to win this match in 90 minutes. The Selecao are 3/4 to win in normal time and just 4/11 to qualify for the Round of 16. The draw is 11/4, with Croatia at 23/5 to win in normal time and 9/4 to qualify.

One area I’ve already touched on is Croatia’s ability to take these ties to extra-time and penalties. Zlatko Dalic’s team are 31/2 to win after extra-time and 11/1 to win on penalties.

Portugal are 4/1 to win after extra-time and 10/1 to win on penalties.

Portugal vs Croatia match prediction and line-ups

In almost every major competition we hear the same mantra that this is an aging Croatia team. Fair enough, especially in the case of Luka Modric, who will turn 41 in September.

With age comes experience, but the same applies to Portugal, who also have an aging superstar of their own in Ronaldo. 

Both these teams are streetwise. However, in a street fight, the smart money would surely have to go on Croatia finding a way to win. 

I expect them to frustrate Portugal and really test the temperament of the team. There are some fiery characters in the Portuguese squad, but when it comes to a battle of nerves, I’d side with Croatia to get the better of them.

It will be tight, which is why my 90-minute prediction is for the match to end in a 1-1 draw. I’m also going for Croatia to qualify for the next round.

• Prediction: Portugal 1-1 Croatia
• Back Croatia to qualify
• Over 2.5 cards

Portugal predictions: Despite drawing two blanks at this competition already, Roberto Martinez will keep faith with Cristiano Ronaldo at the tip of his 4-2-3-1 system. 

Joao Felix seems to have played his way into the starting line-up, meaning no place in the team again for Bernardo Silva. Elsewhere, Joao Neves should come back in at left-back after starting on the bench in the 0-0 draw with Colombia.

• Predicted XI: Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Vitinha, Joao Neves; Neto, Fernandes, Felix; Ronaldo.

Croatia predictions: Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic should stick with his tried and tested 4-3-3 system that has served the team well over the years. He has no major injury concerns from the group stages. 

One possible change he could make is to recall Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol, who was surprisingly left out of the team that beat Ghana 2-1.

• Predicted XI: Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Gvardiol; Sucic, Modric, Kovacic; Baturina, Budimir, Perisic.

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.