Croatia beat Panama 1-0 on Wednesday and took a major step toward the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup. After a disappointing loss to England, Zlatko Dalic's side got the result it needed in Toronto, where the match never reached a high level despite an excellent atmosphere.
Ante Budimir, the Osasuna striker, decided the game in the 55th minute by arriving first to a precise cross from Josip Stanisic. It was Budimir's first World Cup goal, the first ever by an Osasuna player at the tournament, and also made him the oldest scorer in Croatia's national-team history.
The night was symbolic for Croatia in another way, as Luka Modric made his 200th appearance for the national team. Croatia's goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic also had to make a major save in the 21st minute, pushing a strong header from Jose Luis onto the crossbar and out.
Panama, coached by Thomas Christiansen, were still seeking their first World Cup win after conceding in stoppage time against Ghana in the opening round. They played better in the first half but again finished without points, with the absence of key midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla continuing to hurt them. Former Maccabi Tel Aviv goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera stopped a good Marco Pasalic shot just before halftime, but Panama are set to finish bottom of the group.
