- by croatiaweek
- June 27, 2026
-
in
Sport
Luka Modrić celebrates
Croatia secured their place in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage after defeating Ghana 2-1 in Philadelphia on Sunday, finishing second in Group L.
Goals from Petar Sučić and Nikola Vlašić sealed victory in what was Croatia’s most complete performance of the tournament so far.
Head coach Zlatko Dalić made a number of unexpected changes to his starting line-up, including leaving Joško Gvardiol on the bench and bringing Nikola Vlašić into the side.
The changes paid off as Croatia delivered an impressive display both technically and tactically. Apart from a brief spell at the beginning of the second half, when the team lost concentration, Croatia controlled much of the match and produced their strongest football of the competition.
Experienced captain Luka Modrić once again led by example in midfield, while Ivan Perišić, deployed at left-back, also produced a solid performance as Croatia combined experience with disciplined team play.
The victory means Croatia finish runners-up in Group L and progress to the last 32 of the tournament.
Croatia will now return to Toronto, where they previously defeated Panama, for their knockout match. They will face the team that finishes second in Group K, with Portugal or Colombia set to be their opponents.
Portugal must defeat Colombia in their final group match later today to top the group. Regardless of the opponent, Croatia’s last-32 fixture will be played in Toronto in the early hours of Friday, 3 July, at 1:00 am Croatian time.
Should Croatia progress to the round of 16, the challenge is expected to become even tougher. Barring a major upset elsewhere in the tournament, the likely opponents would be reigning European champions Spain, who are still waiting to discover their own knockout opponents.
