Croatia stayed in the race for a place in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage with a narrow 1-0 victory over Panama on Tuesday, a result that also ended the Central American side`s hopes of advancing.
A second-half goal from Ante Budimir separated the two teams in Toronto, giving Croatia their first points of the tournament after an opening defeat to England.
The win leaves the 2018 runners-up with everything to play for heading into their final Group L fixture, while Panama are mathematically out of contention following back-to-back losses.
Panama, appearing at their second World Cup, produced another disciplined performance and came close to taking the lead during the first half. Jose Luis Rodriguez nearly put his side ahead, but Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic made a crucial touch to push a header onto the crossbar.
Croatia struggled to create clear opportunities before the break despite controlling possession for long periods. Veteran midfielder Luka Modric, making his 200th appearance for the national team, was unable to convert an early chance.
The breakthrough arrived nine minutes after halftime when Budimir finished from close range after meeting a delivery from Josip Stanisic.
Croatia soon had an opportunity to double their advantage, but Marco Pasalic failed to capitalize after being sent through on goal, with Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera making an important save.
Panama continued to push forward in search of an equaliser and tested the Croatian defence late in the match, but they were unable to end their scoreless run at the World Cup.
Despite the elimination, head coach Thomas Christiansen praised his players for their effort and commitment against a higher-ranked opponent, saying the experience would benefit the squad in the future.
Panama will conclude their campaign against England on Friday, while Croatia face Ghana in a decisive match that will determine whether they progress to the last 32.
-20260624064612.webp)
-20260623093601.jpg)
-20260617204301.webp)
