Croatia boosted their chances of reaching the World Cup knockout stage with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto, collecting their first points in Group L.
The result leaves Zlatko Dalic’s side in control of their own destiny ahead of a decisive final group match against Ghana. A win on Saturday would guarantee Croatia a place in the last 32.
After a difficult opening half, Croatia found the breakthrough shortly after the restart. Substitute Ante Budimir, introduced during a double change at half-time, made an immediate impact by converting Josip Stanisic’s low delivery from close range in the 54th minute.
Panama, who had troubled Croatia with their speed on the counter-attack before the break, were unable to recover from the setback. The defeat means they are eliminated from the tournament after losing both of their group matches.
The evening also marked a historic occasion for Croatia captain Luka Modric, who earned his 200th international cap. The veteran midfielder became only the fourth male player to reach that landmark and celebrated the achievement with a victory in his fifth World Cup appearance.
Modric once again demonstrated his influence in midfield, completing 88% of his passes before being substituted with nine minutes remaining. Remarkably, he has maintained a pass completion rate above 80% in all 19 of his World Cup matches.
Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic praised his captain after the match, highlighting both his quality and character.
The coach noted that Modric continues to play a decisive role despite his age and described reaching 200 appearances for the national team as a remarkable achievement. Dalic added that the midfielder’s humble personality means he rarely seeks attention, but said the team was delighted to celebrate the milestone in front of Croatian supporters.
Panama pushed hard for an equaliser during the second half and nearly found one during a frantic spell before the hydration break. However, goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic produced a series of crucial saves to preserve Croatia’s lead and secure three valuable points.
With their World Cup campaign revived, Croatia now turn their attention to a winner-takes-all encounter with Ghana, while Panama’s tournament journey comes to an end.