Daijiworld Media Network – Toronto
Toronto, Jun 24: Croatia kept their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama on Tuesday, eliminating the Central American side from contention for a place in the last 32.
After suffering a 4-2 defeat to England in their opening Group L match, the 2018 runners-up and 2022 semi-finalists bounced back with a crucial win courtesy of Ante Budimir's second-half strike.
The decisive goal came in the 54th minute when Budimir converted a cross from Josip Stanisic, sending Croatian supporters inside Toronto's 43,000-capacity stadium into celebration.
Croatia had an opportunity to extend their lead soon after. Veteran midfielder Luka Modric, making his 200th appearance for the national team, delivered a precise through ball to Marco Pasalic. However, Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera saved Pasalic's initial effort, and the forward then sent the rebound over the crossbar.
Panama put up a determined fight and nearly took the lead before the break. In the 23rd minute, Jose Luis Rodriguez's header appeared destined for the net before Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic produced a fingertip save to push the ball onto the crossbar.
Modric also threatened in the opening stages, but his headed effort sailed over the bar.
Playing in only their second FIFA World Cup, Panama matched Croatia for long spells and continued to search for an equaliser after conceding. However, they were unable to find the breakthrough, extending their scoreless run in the tournament.
"You cannot win a match if you don't score," Panama coach Thomas Christiansen said after the match.
Despite the defeat, the Danish-born coach praised his team's performance against higher-ranked opposition.
"I am super proud of my players for how they battled against the higher-ranked Croatian side," he said.
Christiansen added that the experience gained from competing at the World Cup would prove valuable for his squad in the future.
Panama will conclude their campaign against England on Friday, while Croatia moved to three points and will take on Ghana in their final group-stage match with qualification to the last 32 still within reach.
Earlier in the day, Ghana strengthened their position in Group L by holding England to a goalless draw, moving to four points in the standings.