World Cup excitement is reaching fever pitch as Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, two of the biggest stars in world football, prepare to face each other in the final match of the Toronto tournament.
Thursday night was always going to be Toronto’s final FIFA 2026 game World Cupwith the results from the group stage giving the city Croatia vs Portugalone of the most exciting matches of the round of 32.
“I think it’s going to be incredible,” Vanja Graham, a Torontonian and Croatia fan, told Global News. “People coming together, celebrating together and also the rivalries will be incredible.”
Toronto is home to a large Croatian community and an even larger number of Portuguese.
Even under normal conditions, a match between the two would bring life to the city.
But Thursday’s game is not taking place under normal circumstances; Toronto is hosting both Croatia and Portugal as they prepare to bid farewell to international icons who are unlikely to play in a World Cup again.
At the age of 40, Croatia’s Modric will fight to qualify for the next World Cup in 2030, while former Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is already 41.
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One of the two – who played together at Real Madrid – will probably play their final World Cup match in Toronto, with the loser of the match going home.
“It’s a huge fan base between both cultures. It’s going to be amazing,” said Denis Peris, of Bairrada Churrasqueira on College Street. “Whenever two great cultures collide, that’s what makes it fun.”
Ronaldo’s arrival in Toronto on Wednesday saw thousands of people gather outside the hotel where the Portugal team is staying, desperate to catch a glimpse of the star.
This hysteria has seen ticket prices to watch the match soar into the thousands.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most popular athletes globally,” said Sunny Pathak, of Newpath Sports and Entertainment. “Those prices have skyrocketed … we saw an immediate increase in tickets and the lack of availability for that game, demand has outstripped supply in Toronto.”
Ticket reseller StubHub lists seats at the game between $2,000 and almost $9,000 per ticket, while SeatGeek has them between $2,000 and $6,000.
Both companies have been cited by the Ontario government for allegedly breaking rules that prohibit the sale of tickets for more than their face value.
The province, which has not fined the companies, did not respond to Global News’ questions about the price of resale World Cup tickets.
FIFA’s official resale market on Wednesday showed Croatia-Portugal as the only match of the round of 32 with no tickets available.
For Croatian fan Adrian Zekusic, the unique moment two soccer titans meet in what is likely to be their last World Cup is worth whatever it takes to be there.
“There’s a lot on the line with Ronaldo and Modric both probably in their last World Cups,” he explained.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Can you really put a price on that? I don’t think so.”
The match will begin at around 19:00 at the Toronto Stadium at Exhibition Place.
Street closures and parking restrictions will be in place downtown around the stadium while increased transit and bike share options are being put in place.
The winner will play Spain or Austria in the round of 16.
— with files from Global News’ Sean O’Shea
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
