Croatia arrives in Toronto for World Cup showdown with Portugal

Croatia's national football team has arrived in Toronto ahead of its Round of 32 clash with Portugal at the FIFA World Cup.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 a.m. Central European Time on Friday at Toronto's BMO Field.

The team trained Wednesday morning at Centennial Park in hot and humid conditions. Canada's national weather service is forecasting temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius on match day and has also warned of a risk of thunderstorms. With high humidity, the real-feel temperature could reach 40 degrees.

Goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, one of Croatia's standout performers in the group stage, is expected to play a key role against Portugal's dangerous attack.

"It's always a good feeling to be able to help the team, especially if the score is close and the stakes are high. We had fantastic support from our fans in Toronto, and I'm sure even more of them will be there for this game. This makes for wonderful memories," Livaković said.

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalić and Portugal coach Roberto Martínez are well acquainted. Their teams met twice in the recent UEFA Nations League, with Portugal winning 2-1 in Lisbon before the sides played to a 1-1 draw in Split.

Martínez praised Croatia's continuity under Dalić, who has led the national team for nearly a decade.

"We know Croatia really well, and they know us well. We played them in the Nations League, home and away. They've had the same coach, Zlatko, for a long time, with more than 100 international matches. That gives you an incredible understanding of how settled that dressing room is and how well he manages the outstanding talent Croatia has. He's gotten the very best out of this generation," Martínez said.