Oyarzabal picks Croatia as Spain awaits Ronaldo-Modrić showdown
Oyarzabal leaned toward Croatia, as Spain weighed a round-of-16 path that could end with Ronaldo or Modrić and the loser out of the World Cup.
Mikel Oyarzabal leaned toward Croatia after Spain’s match against Austria, choosing the route that could send Spain toward Luka Modrić rather than Cristiano Ronaldo in the knockout bracket. The answer mattered because the winner of the Portugal-Croatia clash could face Spain in the round of 16, while the loser would be eliminated from the World Cup.
For Spain, the difference is not just stylistic. Portugal with Ronaldo carries the threat of a box finisher who can turn a tight game with a single chance, while Croatia with Modrić brings a different rhythm, one built around control, circulation and the authority of a midfielder who has shaped a generation. Oyarzabal’s preference reflected that choice between two distinct kinds of pressure, one more explosive and one more measured, either of them loaded with consequence for Spain’s bracket.
The meeting between Ronaldo and Modrić gives the matchup its symbolic weight. The two men shared a dressing room at Real Madrid for six seasons and played 222 matches together, only to arrive at the World Cup as rivals. Both were born in 1985, a detail that has sharpened the sense that this could be one of the last times they meet on the biggest stage with their national teams.
The stakes are different for each man, too. Modrić already carried Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final, the closest he has come to football’s biggest prize, while Ronaldo has never played in a World Cup final. RTVE framed the clash as a rare chance for both to still chase the one major title missing from their careers, with the loser set to leave the tournament and the winner still alive for a possible meeting with Spain.
Oyarzabal’s own place in that picture has become clearer inside Luis de la Fuente’s side. RTVE has pointed to the Real Sociedad forward as Spain’s No. 9 for the 2026 World Cup, and his growing role has made him one of the references in the squad. That is why his answer carried more than preference: it aligned Spain with a path that could shape its first major knockout test, while keeping Ronaldo and Modrić on opposite sides of a match that may close a long international chapter for both.
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