Ronaldo vs Modric in Their Last Dance: Portugal-Croatia Is the Round of 32's Most Loaded Fixture

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Portugal face Croatia in Toronto at BMO Field on Thursday at 7pm ET in a round of 32 match so loaded with symbolism that several outlets have been writing about it for weeks before a ball has been kicked. Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, leads Portugal in what is almost certainly his final major tournament appearance. Luka Modric, 40 years and 291 days old, leads Croatia after setting the record for oldest World Cup assist in the group stage. Both men have spent the majority of their careers being compared to Messi and Ronaldo, alternately celebrated as the defining midfielders of their generation or the defining right wingers of theirs, and both have won everything at club level that can be won.

Portugal qualified from Group K in second place, kept back by Colombia's impressive group stage run, and have a squad that can win this tournament independent of Ronaldo. Their goalless draw with Colombia was the last group game of two teams who had already qualified and was tactically cautious throughout. The real Portugal, led by Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Rafael Leao, is a more dynamic offensive proposition than that game suggested and they will need to show it against Croatia.

Croatia under Zlatko Dalic have built one of the great tournament pedigrees in the expanded era. Four consecutive World Cup knockout stage qualifications. Three consecutive knockout round appearances at major tournaments. A 2018 World Cup Final. A 2022 third place. And all of it built around a team that has never had the depth or the population base to explain what it achieves by conventional metrics. If Modric plays his last World Cup match on Thursday night in Toronto, it will be one of the most watched individual farewells in the sport's history. If Croatia advance, the story gets even better.

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