João Félix: "It's an Advantage to Play Croatia, We Know Them"

Portuguese forward João Félix sees an advantage in facing Croatia in the upcoming knockout stage, citing his team's deep familiarity with the European opponent. "I think it's an advantage to have to play against them because they are a European team, we are used to watching them play, we know them already. We know their strengths and weaknesses well," Félix stated during a press conference.

Portugal is set to meet Croatia on Thursday in Toronto. Félix highlighted that while Croatia is a "highly competitive rival" with experienced players, Portugal's recent competitive record against them has been strong. "I think we have played good games against Croatia and we have beaten them. I don't remember losing one," he recalled.

Portugal has maintained an undefeated streak against Croatia in official matches this century. Their last encounters in the UEFA Nations League group stage resulted in one win and one draw for the Portuguese side. This historical advantage, combined with their tactical understanding, fuels Portugal's confidence.

Despite two draws in the group stage of the World Cup, Félix sought to reassure Portuguese fans, emphasizing that the tournament's crucial phase is now beginning. "In the group stage, you can always draw or lose a match and still qualify. Now the attention has to be double; any slip-up can be fatal. This is kill or be killed," he explained.

Portugal commenced preparations for the match against Croatia on Monday, following a rest day after their draw against Colombia. The team is scheduled to travel to Toronto on Wednesday to train in the Canadian city the day before the pivotal encounter.