Portugal and Croatia lock horns in a decisive Round of 32 encounter at the Toronto Stadium in Canada on Thursday.

Portugal arrives for the fixture after a second-place finish in Group K, having dropped vital points against group winner Colombia and DR Congo.

Meanwhile, Croatia will hope to continue its winning momentum from its consecutive wins against Panama and Ghana.

Who is the referee for the Portugal vs Croatia World Cup 2026 match?

Norwegian referee Espen Eskas will officiate the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 encounter between Portugal and Croatia at the Toronto Stadium on Thursday.

The 38-year-old has been on FIFA’s international referees list since 2017 and has established himself as one of UEFA’s leading match officials.

He has overseen fixtures in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Nations League, and European Championship qualifiers, and is renowned for his calm decision-making under pressure.

Coincidentally, the Norwegian official is younger than the Portuguese captain and talisman Cristiano Ronaldo.

Eskas had previously featured in this World Cup’s Group H matchup between Spain and Cape Verde.

Across his senior professional career, Eskas has officiated 417 matches, issuing 1353 yellow cards and 23 direct red cards. That translates to an average of 3.24 yellow cards, 0.06 red cards, and a total of 3.30 cards per game.