Croatia in Toronto broke Panama and stayed in the race for the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup.
The Croatian national football team defeated Panama 1:0 in the match of the 2nd round of Group L at the 2026 World Cup, played on June 23 at BMO Field in Toronto, which during the tournament is used under the name Toronto Stadium. The narrow victory brought Croatia its first points in the tournament and kept it in contention for advancement to the new knockout stage of 32 national teams. Panama, according to the report of the Asian Football Confederation, lost its chances of continuing the competition with the defeat, because after two rounds it remained without a point. The decisive moment occurred in the 54th minute, when Ante Budimir used Josip Stanišić's cross and scored from close range for the final 0:1. The match did not offer much open football, but it carried high competitive weight for both national teams, which entered the encounter after defeats in the first round.
Budimir decided the match after a tactical correction
Reports from the match state that Croatia had possession in the first half, but did not manage to break through Panama's dense defense. Panama set up cautiously, with an emphasis on a defensive block and quick outlets toward the flanks, while Croatia tried patiently to build attacks and look for space between the lines. The Guardian stated in its report from Toronto that the first half produced very few clear chances and an overall exceptionally low expected number of goals. Such a rhythm suited Panama more, as it needed to avoid an early goal and keep the match in the zone of one decisive move. Croatia, however, found a more concrete solution after the break.
The key change came with the introductions of Ante Budimir and Andrej Kramarić at the start of the second half. Budimir showed just a few minutes after the restart why he had been brought on: he attacked the space in the six-yard box, met Stanišić's precise cross and finished the move with which Croatia seriously punished Panama's passivity for the first time. According to the Associated Press report published on ESPN, Stanišić lifted the ball toward Budimir, and the forward scored from close range for the only goal of the match. That goal changed the psychology of the encounter, because Panama could no longer wait only for an opponent's mistake. After taking the lead, Croatia gained more space for transition, but failed to close the match earlier with a second goal.
Panama tried to increase the pressure in the closing stages and force the Croatian defense into a mistake with a series of crosses. The most dangerous situations arose when the Panamanian wide players managed to get behind the Croatian back line or when the ball rebounded after set pieces. The Guardian states that Dominik Livaković had to intervene in several awkward moments, especially after Panamanian attempts from close range. Croatia showed organization in those minutes, but also a certain vulnerability that will be an important signal ahead of the final round. The final result nevertheless confirmed what Croatia needed most: a victory regardless of the impression.
Modrić's 200th appearance gave the evening additional weight
The match in Toronto was also special because of Luka Modrić, who, according to The Guardian's report, recorded his 200th appearance for the Croatian national team. He thereby joined an exceptionally narrow circle of footballers with at least 200 senior appearances for a national team, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Bader Al-Mutawa. Croatian players marked that moment with shirts bearing a message dedicated to the captain's legacy, and head coach Zlatko Dalić, after the encounter, emphasized Modrić's humility and the importance of victory on the day of such a jubilee. In a sporting sense, Modrić's evening was not merely ceremonial, because Croatia still depended on his calmness in possession and his decision about when to speed up the play.
Modrić's jubilee comes at a moment in which the Croatian national team finds itself between two cycles. The core that marked the successes at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups still has an important role, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the burden must be distributed among younger players and new leaders. That is why the victory against Panama was more than three points: it was a test of the ability to restore competitive stability after the difficult opening of the tournament against England. The Guardian recalls that Croatia lost 4:2 to England in the first round, so a new slip-up against Panama would have significantly reduced its chances of advancing. Instead, Croatia won a match that was not beautiful, but was necessary.
For Panama, the encounter had different symbolism. Thomas Christiansen's national team has achieved several important results in North and Central American competitions in recent years, including notable performances against stronger opponents. The Guardian recalled Panama's qualification for the knockout stage of the 2024 Copa América, the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League final and successes in the Gold Cup. Still, at the 2026 World Cup, Panama did not find a goal in the first two rounds, and the defeat to Croatia followed a narrow defeat to Ghana. Fighting spirit and discipline were not enough for points in a group in which every detail proved decisive.
Group L remains open before the final round
After the second series of matches, Group L remains uncertain in terms of results, but with a clearer picture for Panama. According to the calculations and standings published by SB Nation after the matches on June 23, England and Ghana have four points each, Croatia has three, and Panama is without points. In the other match of the round, England and Ghana played 0:0, meaning neither of those national teams secured first place, but both remained in a favorable position. Croatia will play against Ghana in the final round on June 27 in Philadelphia, while Panama faces a meeting with England in the New York and New Jersey area. FIFA's official schedule confirms that precisely those matches are the final pairings of Group L.
The 2026 World Cup format further increases the importance of third place. FIFA states that the tournament is played with 48 national teams in 12 groups of four teams, with the two best national teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advancing to the Round of 32. This means that, after the victory over Panama, Croatia does not depend only on the direct duel with Ghana, but also on the overall goal difference, the number of points won and possible criteria for ranking third-placed national teams. Because of the 4:2 defeat to England, Croatia entered the group with a negative goal difference, so every bit of defensive stability and every additional goal could be important. The 1:0 victory did not solve everything, but it prevented a scenario in which the final round would have been almost without competitive meaning.
For England and Ghana, the draw in their mutual duel means that both national teams enter the final round with the possibility of winning the group. Croatia will probably need at least a positive result against Ghana in order to keep a realistic chance of advancing, while a victory could also open a direct path toward one of the first two positions, depending on the outcome of the other match. Panama, on the other hand, can influence the final outcome against England, although it no longer has a possibility of advancing. Exactly such combinations make the final round particularly sensitive, because the standings, goal difference and potential entry among the best third-placed teams are decided at the same time. For Croatia, therefore, the triumph in Toronto was only the first step after a poor opening.
Toronto Stadium as the stage for a tight match
The encounter was played at BMO Field in Toronto, one of the Canadian host stadiums of the 2026 World Cup. FIFA's description of the host city states that Toronto Stadium, commercially known as BMO Field, has six matches during the tournament and that it is the first Canadian stadium built specifically for football. The stadium is home to Toronto FC from Major League Soccer and the Toronto Argonauts from Canadian football, and it is located along the shore of Lake Ontario. FourFourTwo states in its stadium guide that the venue was expanded for the needs of the tournament and that during the World Cup it was adapted to a capacity of approximately 45,000 seats. In that environment, Croatia played one of those matches remembered not for fluency, but for its value in terms of the result.
Toronto had already hosted Panama in Group L in the encounter against Ghana, and the match against Croatia was Panama's second appearance at the same stadium. That could have given Panama a certain sense of familiar surroundings, but it did not change the basic problem: a lack of efficiency in attack. Croatia, by contrast, came to Toronto with the imperative of a reaction after the defeat to England and with the pressure that usually follows a national team with high expectations. In such circumstances there was no room for an aesthetic impression, but for risk control. That is precisely why the early reaction after halftime was decisive, because it changed the match before Panama managed to slow the rhythm down further.
The match also showed the broader peculiarity of the expanded tournament. National teams that in the previous format might have had less room for recovery can now remain in the race even with one defeat, but every mistake in the early rounds still comes at a high cost. Croatia lost its initial capital with the defeat to England, and with the victory against Panama it regained minimal control over its own destiny. Panama, with two defeats without scoring a goal, was left without room for a comeback despite losing both encounters by the narrowest margin. That is the difference between a national team that found one decisive move and a team that remained close in both matches, but without the final blow.
Croatia got what it had to get
The most important value of Croatia's victory was not in the impression, but in the context. After the opening defeat to England, Croatia needed three points against Panama in order to avoid the pressure of almost certain elimination and to keep a realistic chance of advancing. Budimir's goal in the 54th minute was enough because the defense withstood Panamanian pressure, and Livaković confirmed his reliability in moments when the match could have gone in another direction. Head coach Dalić now has a result that gives the national team oxygen, but also material for analysis: Croatia controlled parts of the encounter, but for a long time did not create enough chances from open play. Against Ghana it will need more rhythm, more verticality and fewer periods in which the opponent can impose a physical match.
Panama leaves the race for the knockout stage with the impression of a team that was competitive, but insufficiently concrete. Narrow defeats to Ghana and Croatia point to discipline and organization, but also to a lack of attacking sharpness, which at major tournaments is often the boundary between praise and results. Christiansen's team waited for its moments against Croatia, and after conceding showed more ambition, but did not manage to turn pressure into a goal. Croatia, on the other hand, won the match through experience, patience and one precisely executed attack. In a group in which the final standings may be decided by details, such a victory can carry significantly greater weight than the 0:1 result itself.
Sources:
- FIFA – official match schedule, stadiums and Group L pairings at the 2026 World Cup. (link)
- FIFA – explanation of the competition format with 48 national teams, 12 groups and advancement to the Round of 32 (link)
- FIFA – profile of Toronto as a host city and description of Toronto Stadium during the 2026 World Cup. (link)
- The AFC – report on the Group L match Panama - Croatia 0:1 and Panama's elimination (link)
- The Guardian – report from Toronto with a description of Budimir's goal, Modrić's 200th appearance and reactions after the match (link)
- ESPN / Associated Press – match summary, result and basic information about the Panama - Croatia encounter (link)
- SB Nation – overview of the standings and scenarios in Group L after the second-round matches (link)
- FourFourTwo – guide to BMO Field, capacity and matches that Toronto Stadium hosts at the 2026 World Cup. (link)