Leau: Against Croatia in the playoffs, it is very important to realize your chances

The winger of the Portuguese national team commented and shared his expectations for the start of the 2026 World Cup playoffs. Portugal midfielder Rafael Leau summed up the results of the match of the third round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup against Colombia (0:0), and also spoke about the upcoming round of 16 match against Croatia. "The only thing we lacked was a goal. In the first half we had opportunities to score. We created our chances thanks to Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix. In matches like this, against teams of the highest level, and now against Croatia in the play-offs, it is very important to take your chances. At the end of the game, we did everything we could to score. Colombia is a quality team. First of all, it was necessary to neutralize Luis Diaz and James Rodriguez. It was a difficult match and a difficult atmosphere. Now it's time to recover. We are Portugal and we treat any opponent with respect. We showed our class and ability to endure. A high-level team must be able to go through difficult moments. I think this is what will help us go far in this World Cup. The team is united," said Leau. It will be recalled that the Portuguese national team finished the group stage in second place in Quartet K. In the first round of the playoffs, the team will meet with the Croatian national team.