Key Takeaways:
- Croatia kept their World Cup hopes alive with a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto to secure their first Group L points
- Panama have been eliminated from the tournament after suffering their fifth consecutive World Cup finals defeat
- Ante Budimir scored the winning goal, with Croatia set to face Ghana next in pursuit of a place in the knockout stage
Match Overview
Croatia breathed new life into their World Cup campaign on a tense night in Toronto, posting a narrow 1-0 win over Panama to claim their maiden Group L points. The result confirmed Los Canaleros’ departure from the tournament, with Panama joining just five other nations in history to have lost their first five World Cup finals encounters.
An earlier goalless draw between England and Ghana heightened the pressure, knowing that defeat would send either side home. That anxiety was evident in a tightly-contested opening, with both teams struggling to assert themselves in the early stages.
Croatia walk away with +3 points 👏#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 24, 2026
First Half: Missed Opportunities and Crucial Saves
The opening period’s clearest chance fell to Panama after 17 minutes, as José Fajardo agonisingly missed turning home a low-driven cross from Michael Murillo. Shortly after, Dominik Livakovic produced a notable stop to divert a Jose Luis Rodriguez header onto the bar, but the action was nullified with the ball ruled out of play beforehand, leaving neither goalkeeper troubled on the shots-on-target count.
Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic demanded more from his side at the hydration break, but despite enjoying increased possession in the Panamanian half, they struggled to carve out openings. The first half closed with Luka Modric glancing a header off-target and a Murillo shot blocked, before Martin Baturina finally forced Orlando Mosquera into a save in added time from 20 yards.
Second Half: Budimir Delivers for Croatia
Dalic reacted at the interval, introducing two substitutes in a bid to shift momentum. The move swiftly paid dividends as Ante Budimir, one of the new arrivals, broke the deadlock less than ten minutes after the restart. In a role reversal from their earlier vulnerability to right-sided deliveries, Croatia crafted their goal through Josip Stanisic’s link-up with Marco Pasalic, whose cross went unmet by Mosquera and allowed Budimir a simple finish at the far post.
Croatia almost doubled their lead three minutes later when Modric released Pasalic on the counter, but Mosquera denied the Atalanta midfielder in a one-on-one situation.
Panama’s Response and Final Moments
Panama, refusing to capitulate, seized more of the ball as the half progressed. Their efforts culminated in a sustained attack midway through the second period: Livakovic thwarted a double effort from Murillo and tipped Carlos Harvey’s ensuing header over from the resulting corner.
Modric, celebrating his 200th international cap, made way with nine minutes to play, leaving his teammates to see out a professional victory and preserve their prospects of progressing from the group. Croatia have never missed out on a World Cup medal after surviving the group phase, a record they will aim to maintain against Ghana in their final fixture. Panama, meanwhile, have only pride left to play for when they take on England, with the memories of their 6-1 defeat in 2018 still fresh.
