Croatia kick-started their FIFA World Cup 2026™ campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama at Toronto Stadium, a result that also confirmed Los Canaleros’ elimination from the competition with one game remaining. Substitute Ante Budimir scored the only goal in the 54th minute, while goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic produced key saves to preserve the clean sheet.
The match also carried a landmark moment for Croatia captain Luka Modric, who made his 200th appearance for his country in the win.
How Croatia edged Panama in Group L
Panama made the brighter start and were the better side in the first half, going close to breaking the deadlock in the 23rd minute. Jose Luis Rodriguez met a chance with a powerful header that looked destined for the net, but Livakovic reacted superbly to tip the effort on to the crossbar.
Croatia, however, established more of a foothold after the interval and found the breakthrough nine minutes into the second half. In the 54th minute, Josip Stanisic delivered a low cross from the right, and Budimir—introduced as a substitute—tucked the ball in at the back post to put Croatia 1-0 ahead.
Croatia had an immediate opportunity to extend the advantage. Three minutes after the opener, Marco Pasalic had a glorious chance to make it 2-0, but Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera first denied him, and Pasalic then blazed the rebound off target.
Panama continued to threaten as they searched for the goal they needed to secure a maiden World Cup point, but Livakovic remained in inspired form between the posts. With Croatia holding firm, Budimir’s finish proved decisive as the match ended 1-0.
Player of the Match and key moments
Panama midfielder Cristian Martinez was named the Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match despite the defeat.
A key stat from the game highlighted Modric’s long World Cup run: he has featured in each of Croatia’s last 21 matches at the FIFA World Cup™, a sequence stretching back to their second group-stage game against Japan in 2006.
What the coaches said after Panama 0-1 Croatia
Panama coach Thomas Christiansen praised his side’s performance despite the result. “We played well. We fought until the end, staying true to our identity and the only thing I can say is that I am proud of my players. They played a great game, we went toe-to-toe with Croatia. That’s just how football goes. They had one clear chance and scored it. The truth is that they did not create too much danger against us. I think we were brave in this match and once again, I’m proud of the boys,” he said.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic acknowledged the difficulty of the contest and the importance of the win. “I want to congratulate the opponent, who was very good today and gave us a lot of difficulties. To be honest, I didn’t expect it to be this difficult. We didn’t react the best, maybe that was due to the pressure as we really needed these three points. I’m glad we were able to win Luka [Modric]’s 200th game. He played excellently today, at 40 years of age. We’re so happy to have him in the national team,” Dalic said.
With the result, Croatia secured a vital three points in Group L, while Panama’s defeat confirmed their elimination from the tournament with one match still to play.
