Ante Budimir helped Croatia defeat Panama.
On the morning of June 24th, in a crucial match in Group L, Croatia secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Panama to maintain their chances of advancing to the Round of 32. This result simultaneously ended Panama's journey at the 2026 World Cup after two hard-fought matches. In their first match, Panama lost to Ghana 0-1.
The first half proceeded at a moderate pace as both teams started cautiously. Panama created the first dangerous opportunities thanks to Murillo's dynamism on the right wing. However, goalkeeper Livakovic was alert and thwarted shots from Martinez and Rodriguez.
It wasn't until the end of the first half that Croatia responded with a powerful long-range shot from Baturina, but it failed to beat goalkeeper Mosquera.
The deadlock was broken in the 54th minute. Following a well-coordinated attack down the right wing, Stanisic delivered a precise cross for Ante Budimir to tap the ball into the net from close range, beating Panama. Just minutes later, Croatia nearly doubled their lead if Pasalic hadn't missed a golden opportunity.
The final moments of the match saw suffocating pressure from Panama. The Central American team relentlessly bombarded the opponent's goal, but Livakovic's brilliance denied Murillo's efforts and Harvey's dangerous header.
In the 80th minute, Harvey had another golden opportunity in the penalty area, but his shot went just wide of the post.
With three valuable points, Croatia moved up to third place in Group L, just one point behind England and Ghana. Meanwhile, Panama was officially eliminated early despite putting up a decent fight against the European side.
