"Make us feel at home": Cristiano Ronaldo to fans ahead of FIFA World Cup R32 clash against Croatia
Toronto, July 2
Superstar Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo thanked fans for "making the team feel at home" ahead of their FIFA World Cup round of 32 clash against Croatia scheduled for Friday.
The star-studded Portugal will be fighting for a pre-quarterfinal spot against a solid, all-round consistent Croatia, led by 40-year old Luka Modric. After two draws in their group stage clash, Cristiano and Portugal will be aiming to stamp their authority over a quality opponent in Toronto, with the match taking place at 4:30 AM IST.
The match will also have a lot of emotional significance for Portugal players and fans alike, as it will coincide with the first death anniversary of late striker Diogo Jota, who passed away in a road accident in Spain last year.
Posting on Instagram ahead of the match, Cristiano, with a holding hands emoji and Portugal flag, posted with the caption, "Facam-nos sentir em casa", roughly translating to "make us feel at home".
During the match against Colombia, the 41-year-old Portugal captain made his 25th FIFA World Cup appearance, drawing level with Germany great Lothar Matthaus for the second-most appearances in the tournament's history. Only Argentina captain Lionel Messi, with 29 appearances, has featured in more World Cup matches than Ronaldo.
During the match against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo led Portugal's charge with two goals, while Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao also found the net. An own goal involving Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov further compounded the misery for Fabio Cannavaro's side as Roberto Martinez's men secured their first win of the tournament in emphatic fashion.
Ronaldo's brace saw him become Portugal's all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history, taking his tally to 10 goals, surpassing Eusebio's record of nine. Eusebio, a Portuguese legend and 1965 Ballon d'Or winner, famously guided the team to third place at the 1966 World Cup. Behind Ronaldo and Eusebio, Pauleta is third on Portugal's World Cup scoring list with four goals.
Ronaldo also became the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments, ending his 10-match goalless streak across major competitions (the FIFA World Cup and the Euro Championship).
Portugal's result came as a strong response after they were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their opening group-stage encounter in a performance that put Ronaldo's team under scrutiny. The victory helped Portugal get their World Cup campaign back on track and significantly boosted their goal difference ahead of the final group fixture.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Nice gesture from Ronaldo. Fans do make a difference for visiting teams. I just hope the match is competitive and not one-sided. Croatia can be tricky, especially with Modric's experience.
Incredible that Ronaldo scored in six different World Cups! That's unmatched consistency. But I think Portugal's defense needs to be tighter—they were lucky against Uzbekistan. Croatia will punish mistakes. Still, cheering for CR7! 🇵🇹
Really feels for Diogo Jota's family. The match on his death anniversary will be emotional. Ronaldo's respect for fans is nice, but I hope the team focuses on the game. Croatia are no pushovers.
Ronaldo breaking Eusebio's record is historic! 🇵🇹 But I do wish Portugal had been more clinical in the group stage—two draws isn't ideal. They need to step up now. Modric vs Ronaldo is like Messi vs Ronaldo but with older legs! 😄
4:30 AM IST? That's brutal for Indian fans! But for Ronaldo, it's worth it. Amazing that he's still performing at 41. The emotional angle with Diogo Jota adds depth. Hope we see a great match.
R Rohit P