Three Round of 32 games will be featured Thursday, including the final game hosted at Toronto Stadium.
Let’s take a closer look at Thursday’s action and what’s at stake.
Toronto hosts final World Cup game between Portugal, Croatia
Portugal vs. Croatia - 7 pm ET/4 pm PT on TSN1/4/5, TSN.ca, and the TSN App.
One superstar’s World Cup career will likely come to an end at Toronto Stadium on Thursday.
Former Real Madrid teammates Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić will face each other in the final game of the tournament at Toronto Stadium when Portugal and Croatia play their Round of 32 match.
Ronaldo, 41, and Modrić, 40, are each likely playing in their final World Cup. Both players are trying to win the first World Cup in their nation’s history.
This is the second time Ronaldo will play in Toronto. He played in a friendly with Real Madrid against Toronto FC in 2009. Real Madrid won 5-1.
This will be the second game at Toronto Stadium for Croatia, who beat Panama 1-0 on June 23.
Both teams finished second in their respective groups. Portugal beat Uzbekistan, while drawing against Congo DR and Colombia. Croatia beat Ghana and Panama, but lost to England.
Ronaldo received criticism following Portugal’s opening 1-1 draw against Congo DR due to his lack of scoring. He responded with two goals in Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, making him the first player to score in six World Cups.
Modrić is yet to score in this year’s World Cup. However, he did become the oldest player to record an assist at the World Cup when he set up Nikola Vlasic’s game-winning goal in Croatia’s 2-1 win over Ghana.
Neither country has ever won the World Cup. Portugal’s best result is a third-place finish in 1966. Their best result with Ronaldo is a fourth-place finish in 2006.
Croatia’s best result was in 2018 when they lost to France in the final. They finished third in 2022.
The winner of this match will face the winner of the match between Spain and Austria on July 6 at Dallas Stadium.
European champs Spain face Austria
Spain vs. Austria - 3 pm ET/12 pm PT on TSN1/4, TSN.ca, and the TSN App.
Austria advanced to the Round of 32 following a dramatic finish to their final group-stage game against Algeria. Austria led twice throughout the match but Algeria was able to tie it up both times.
Algeria scored to take a 3-2 lead in the 93rd minute, putting Austria on the brink of elimination.
Sasa Kalajdzic scored for Austria in the 96th minute. The match finished as 3-3 draw, sending both countries into the knockout stage.
Austria finished second in their group following a win over Jordan, and loss to Argentina, and a draw against Algeria. They have scored six goals, while giving up six goals.
This is the first time Austria has qualified for the World Cup since 1998. The country’s best result is a third-place finish in 1954.
After beginning their tournament with a shocking 0-0 draw against Cabo Verde, Spain won their next two matches against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to top their group.
The win over Uruguay came at a cost. Wingers Nico Williams and Yéremy Pino were both injured during the match.
Pino avoided a collarbone fracture, while Williams suffered an adductor injury. Neither player has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament, though Williams will not be available for Thursday’s match.
The reigning European champions are the only country other than Mexico who are yet to give up a goal.
Spain has won the World Cup once in 2010, but have failed to advance past the Round of 16 since then.
The winner of this match will face the winner of the match between Portugal and Croatia in the Round of 16.
Switzerland, Algeria play in Vancouver
Switzerland vs. Algeria - 11 pm ET/8 pm PT on TSN1/4/5, TSN.ca, and the TSN App.
BC Place Vancouver will play host to Thursday’s match between Switzerland and Algeria.
Switzerland topped their group with a draw against Qatar and wins over Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Their 2-1 over Canada ensured they topped the group and would stay in Vancouver for their Round of 32 match. Switzerland won despite being outshot 13 to 6, including 7-4 in shots on targets.
Switzerland’s best result is the quarter-final, which they have reached on three occasions (1934, 1938, and 1954). They have been eliminated in the Round of 16 at the previous three World Cups.
Algeria advanced to the Round of 32 as one of the top third-place teams in the group-stage. Both Algeria and Austria finished with a win, a draw, and a loss, however Austria had a superior goal differential.
Algeria finished the group stage with a dramatic tie with Austria that allowed both countries to advance to the Round of 32.
After being shutout in their opening match against Argentina, Algeria scored five times in their next two matches. However, they gave up seven goals during the group-stage.
Algeria is back in the World Cup for the first time since 2014, when they advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time.
The winner of this match will face the winner of the match between Colombia and Ghana in the Round of 32.
