Toronto will host its sixth and final game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup today with a historic matchup between Portugal and Croatia.
Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has said this is “definitely” his last World Cup. Croatia’s Luka Modrić, 40, is also reportedly considering retirement.
That means today’s match could be the last time either soccer great touches a ball in their nation’s jersey. Portugal, ranked eighth globally by FIFA, is the favourite to win tonight’s contest. Croatia is ranked 13th.
CTV News Toronto and CP24 will have live updates leading up to and following kickoff at 7 p.m.
Follow along here for live updates:
1 p.m. - Crowds gathering outside Team Portugal’s hotel
Toronto police say a “large crowd” has gathered outside the hotel where Team Portugal is staying.
In a post on social media, police said fans are on Bremner Boulevard, east of Lower Simcoe Street, hoping to spot Ronaldo and the Portuguese squad.
Police said the crowd is “spilling out into the roadway.”
Motorists should expected delays in the area.
- Phil Tsekouras, Journalist, CTVNewsToronto.ca
12:45 p.m. – Toronto police issue drone warning
Police say 20 people have been charged for operating drones over Toronto Stadium and the FIFA Fan Festival since the tournament started last month.
“Flying a drone over or near these areas is illegal. These restrictions help keep everyone safe. Keep the skies clear and finish the tournament strong, Toronto. Leave the drones at home,” police said in a post on X.
Police have said that the unauthorized flights could cause injuries, crashes, and put spectators below in danger.
“If these drones collide and fall on people, they can cause serious injuries,” Toronto police Staff Sgt. Arshad told CP24 earlier this week.
Police have said anyone caught flying an unauthorized drone in restricted areas could face charges under the Canadian Aviation Regulations. Transport Canada has authorized officers to enforce the regulations during the tournament.
Penalties can include fines, but police said criminal charges may also be laid if the circumstances are criminal in nature.
With files from Joshua McGinnis
- Phil Tsekouras, Journalist, CTVNewsToronto.ca
12:30 p.m. – TTC says busy bus, streetcar routes will divert this afternoon
The TTC says that, starting at 1:30 p.m., some of the city’s busiest bus and streetcar routes will be diverted due to fan marches later this afternoon.
The 64 Ossington, 504 King, 509 Harbourfront and 511 Bathurst routes are all affected.
“Customers should allow for extra travel time and download the Transit app for real-time updates,” the TTC said.
The Portugal and Croatia fan marches are scheduled to begin at 4 and 5 p.m., respectively.
- Phil Tsekouras, Journalist, CTVNewsToronto.ca
12 p.m. - Canada to wear all-black kits vs. Morocco Saturday
Canada will wear their all-black kits for Saturday’s Round of 16 clash against Morocco, with the team hoping to find more success in the jerseys.
Canada has gone 2-0-0 wearing the kits so far at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, donning them for a 6-0 rout of Qatar in the group round and their historic 1-0 win over South Africa in the Round of 16.
Canada was held to a draw in their red kits in their World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina and suffered a 2-1 loss to Switzerland wearing their white kits.
The black kits have been the favoured choice of the Canadian players, who received a say in the jersey design.
“It just struck a chord with us and kind of connected almost the previous generation to this future generation,” defender Alistair Johnston said of the kits before the tournament.
10:30 a.m. - Odds that Ronaldo plays his final match in Toronto?
While the prospect of the legendary Ronaldo playing his final tournament match in Toronto is fascinating, the expectation is that his journey will continue through to the Round of 16.
Portugal is up to -300 to advance versus Croatia.
That number represents a 75 per cent implied chance.
For Ronaldo, today’s match versus Croatia could be his last on soccer’s biggest stage, but it’s also a chance to do something he’s never done before.
Ronaldo has never scored in seven career knockout matches on soccer’s biggest stage.
He is one of only three players to attempt at least 20 shots without scoring in the knockout stage since 1966.
Ronaldo has already made history as the second oldest player to score in tournament history.
At 41-years-old, he should be motivated to end his knockout stage drought versus Croatia today in Toronto.
What are the odds that Ronaldo scores for Portugal?
FanDuel has Ronaldo at -105 to score an anytime goal.
Ronaldo to score the first goal is +300.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Ronaldo is by far the most popular anytime goal scorer pick in tonight’s matches.
Per the FanDuel traders, Ronaldo has accounted for 81.3 per cent of the anytime goal stakes in his match.
However, Croatia has been a popular pick to pull off the upset at +225 to advance.
Per the FanDuel traders, 77.7 per cent of the bets and 62.2 per cent of the stakes are on Croatia to advance.
The majority of FanDuel bettors are banking on tonight marking Ronaldo’s final tournament match.
- Domenic Padula, Journalist, TSN.ca
10 a.m. - Ronaldo seen waving to fans from Toronto hotel balcony
Hundreds of fans were spotted in downtown Toronto Wednesday as Ronaldo and Portugal’s national team arrived.
Some lucky fans even caught a glimpse of the soccer superstar as he and other teammates waved to the crowds below from their hotel balcony.
Ronaldo and the Portugal squad were seen training at Etobicoke’s Centennial Park on Wednesday leading up to tonight’s game.
Last week, Ronaldo became the first soccer player in history to score in six World Cups, with Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan.
- Phil Tsekouras, Journalist, CTVNewsToronto.ca
9:30 a.m. – Ronaldo returns to Toronto
While this is the first time Team Portugal has ever played in Toronto, Ronaldo has laced up his cleats in the city once before.
Ronaldo, who was signed with Real Madrid at the time, played an international pre-season friendly match at BMO Field against Toronto FC on August 7, 2009.
The visiting superstars, which also featured Kaká, Karim Benzema, Xabi Alonso, and Raúl, beat the home team 5-1, but fans in attendance weren’t unhappy with the lopsided contest.
“Seeing him glide around the field and just the way the team moved the ball around, even in the open practice the day before, you could tell how much of a different level soccer is played at across the pond,” Adam Santamaria, a soccer fan from Toronto who attended the match, told CTV News.
Santamaria said he paid about $150 for a ticket, after saving up from his part time job at a nearby grocery store at the time.
This time around, he says Toronto is ready to see “that level of footy” from the Portuguese super star once again.
- Phil Tsekouras, Journalist, CTVNewsToronto.ca
8:45 a.m. - Toronto cancels watch party at Nathan Phillips Square
The City of Toronto says the planned watch party at Nathan Phillips Square has been cancelled due to the weather forecast.
“We understand that this is disappointing for many, but the decision was made due to the extreme heat forecast & the demand on resources to ensure the safety of all,” the city wrote in a post on X.
At time of writing, the FIFA Fan Festival at Fort York and the Bentway is expected to be open, though it has closed previously during the tournament due to weather.
- Phil Tsekouras, Journalist, CTVNewsToronto.ca
8:30 a.m. - Toronto could feel like 44 today with humidity
Thursday’s match takes place amid a multi-day heatwave, which could make it feel like 44 today with the humidity.
“It took a while, but the summer sizzle roared in this week. And it’s been intense,” CP24 Meteorologist Bill Coulter said. “Some of the hottest air we’ve seen in years will be challenging records and making life challenging for outdoor workers and those without air-conditioning.”
The temperature is expected to peak at 35 C at around 3 p.m. An orange-level heat warning from Environment Canada remains in effect.
Coulter explained that the “excessive heat and humidity” act as potential fuel for the development of storms and says there is a risk of downpours late this afternoon and evening.
“The models are showing the best risk is over the west GTA and southwestern Ontario. Watch for heavy downpours and frequent lighting for Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton and Niagara.
- Phil Tsekouras, Journalist, CTVNewsToronto.ca
8:15 a.m. - ‘It’s in our blood’: Toronto’s Portuguese community ready for kickoff
Anabela Taborda, chair of the Little Portugal Business Improvement Area, said she expects the city’s Little Portugal neighbourhood to be packed with fans during tonight’s game.
“I would expect that it will be really hard to drive through this area later on today,” she told CP24 on Thursday morning.
She said the sport is “really important” to people in Portugal.
“It is in our blood. It’s in our veins,” she added.
Toronto’s Little Portugal neighbourhood extends from College Street and Dundas Street West to the north, Dovercourt Road to the east, and the GO train tracks to the south and the west.
- Codi Wilson, Journalist, CP24.com
8 a.m. – Tickets sold out
Tickets for tonight’s game at Toronto Stadium are sold out on FIFA’s official websites.
Some passes are still available on resale websites, but the prices far exceed their initial face value of between $335 and $875.
On StubHub, the cheapest tickets on offer are going for $2,726. The most expensive seat is selling for $11,963.
On SeatGeek, the cheapest seat available is $2,365. The most expensive is $9,736. At one point, some tickets were selling for as much as $30,000 on SeatGeek.
Earlier this year, Ontario made it illegal to ban the reselling of tickets above face value.
Both SeatGeek and StubHub said in previously released statements that they continue to work with the government to implement the new legislation, despite difficulties in substantiating the original price that a user paid for tickets that they are selling.
Both sites were recently added to Ontario’s “Consumer Beware” website by the government over high ticket resale prices, an addition they said was unfair.
With files from Joshua Freeman
- Phil Tsekouras, Journalist, CTVNewsToronto.ca
