Legendary Cristiano Ronaldo has urged supporters to create a homely atmosphere prior to Portugal’s FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match against Croatia on Friday.
With a spot in the pre-quarterfinals up for grabs, Portugal will go against a formidable Croatian team captained by veteran midfielder Luka Modric. Ronaldo posted a heartfelt message on Instagram prior to the game, pleading with fans to support the team in big numbers.
“Facam-nos sentir em casa,” which roughly translates to “make us feel at home,” was written alongside a photo of the Portuguese flag and the holding hands emoji.
Portugal Wants To Honour Diogo Jota
Since the match takes place on the first anniversary of the loss of the late striker Diogo Jota, who passed away in a vehicle accident in Spain last year, it also has emotional meaning for Portugal. During Portugal’s group-stage campaign, the 41-year-old great achieved yet another significant milestone: he made his 25th FIFA World Cup appearance, matching German icon Lothar Matthaus for the second-most appearances in tournament history.
With 29 appearances, only Lionel Messi has participated in more World Cup games. Additionally, Ronaldo was a key player in Portugal’s decisive victory over Uzbekistan, scoring twice to help his team pick up their first win in the ongoing edition of the tournament.
With the brace, he surpassed Portuguese great Eusebio to become Portugal’s all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup history with 10 goals. Portugal’s opening match against DR Congo ended in a tie, putting them under pressure going into the competition.
But ahead of the crucial knockout match against Croatia, where Ronaldo and his colleagues will try to continue their march towards World Cup success, their comfortable victory against Uzbekistan helped revitalise their campaign and build confidence.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to erase a huge blot from his record. The icon is yet to score in a FIFA World Cup knockout match. Cristiano has not yet scored in a knockout match for Portugal in the history of the competition, despite having scored in six straight FIFA World Cups since his debut in 2006.