Dolores Aveiro, mother of Cristiano Ronaldo, has publicly expressed her support for Portugal ahead of their pivotal FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 encounter against Croatia. She shared a heartfelt message on Instagram alongside a photograph with her son, captioning it 'Forca Portugal' (Come on, Portugal). The match is scheduled to take place at Toronto Stadium.
Dolores Aveiro's Constant Presence
Dolores has been a regular presence during Portugal's World Cup campaign. She previously attended Portugal's group-stage match against Colombia in the United States, which ended in a goalless draw under manager Roberto Martinez.
High-Stakes Match Against Croatia
Portugal faces a stern challenge against a disciplined Croatia side captained by 40-year-old Luka Modric. With a place in the pre-quarterfinals at stake, Portugal aims to deliver their best performance of the tournament after drawing two of their three group-stage matches.
Emotional Significance: Diogo Jota Tribute
The match holds deep emotional significance as it coincides with the first death anniversary of former Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota, who tragically died in a road accident in Spain last year. Players and supporters are expected to pay tribute to the late striker before the match.
Ronaldo's Social Media Call to Fans
Ahead of the fixture, Ronaldo reached out to Portuguese fans on social media, posting a handshake emoji with the national flag and the message 'Facam-nos sentir em casa', urging supporters to 'make us feel at home' in Toronto.
Ronaldo's Landmark Tournament Achievements
Ronaldo has already enjoyed a landmark tournament. During Portugal's group-stage draw against Colombia, he made his 25th FIFA World Cup appearance, equaling Germany legend Lothar Matthaus for the second-most appearances in World Cup history. Only Argentina captain Lionel Messi, with 29 matches, has featured more often.
In Portugal's commanding victory over Uzbekistan, Ronaldo scored twice, taking his World Cup tally to 10 goals. This made him Portugal's outright leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history, surpassing Eusebio's previous record of nine. Pauleta remains third with four goals. The brace also made Ronaldo the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments, ending a 10-match goal drought across the World Cup and UEFA European Championship.
Team Performance and Outlook
Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao also scored in the Uzbekistan match, while an own goal by Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov completed the rout. Having recovered from a slow start, Portugal hopes their captain can inspire them once again against Croatia.
