Portugal were eliminated from Euro 2024 in the quarterfinals by France on penalties following a goalless draw after extra time. Croatia did not advance past the group stage, finishing third behind Spain and Italy.
Portugal won the Nations League in 2019 but missed the 2023 finals, finishing second to Spain in their group. Croatia reached the final last year but lost to Spain on penalties.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal’s star forward, has expressed a desire to extend his international career, though many believe the 2026 World Cup may be his final global stage.
The 2024-25 Nations League will also play a role in European qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Stay updated with live text commentary and the latest football news on the Al Jazeera Sport football page.
---
**What is the UEFA Nations League?**
The Nations League is a biennial international football competition featuring 54 UEFA member teams. The league structure includes promotion and relegation and was introduced to replace meaningless friendlies with competitive matches between similarly ranked teams.
**Welcome to our live coverage**
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Portugal vs. Croatia match in Group 1 of League A of the UEFA Nations League 2024-25.
Portugal were quarterfinalists at Euro 2024, eliminated by France on penalties. Croatia failed to advance from the group stage, finishing third behind Spain and Italy.
I’m Patrick Keddie, bringing you live build-up before the match at Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica. Rohan Sharma will provide full text commentary from the 7:45 PM (6:45 PM GMT) kickoff.
Stay tuned for all the latest updates, analysis, and action.
No comments: