World Cup
11:00 p.mJune 23, 2026
Group stage – 2
BMO field
Referee: Pierre Ghislain Atcho, Gabon
panama
Croatia
Turn off the spoiler to see match stats
0.06
Expected Goals (xG)
0.05
Passing by
136 (79%)
Accurate passes
272 (88%)
Turn off the spoiler to see the events of the match
22
G
Orlando Mosquera
6.6
2
d
Caesar Blackman
6.9
16
d
Andres Andrade
6.9
3
d
Jose Córdoba
6.7
13
d
Jew Ramos
6.9
23
d
Amir Murillo
6.9
7
M
Jose Luis Rodriguez
6.2
M
Yoel Bárcenas (C)
61′ rough
14
M
Carlos Harvey
6.2
6
M
Cristian Martinez
6.6
17
F
Jose Fajardo
6.9
Substitutes
F
Cecilia Waterman
77′ Replaced by J. RamosF
Tomás Rodríguez
90′ Replaced by Y. BarcenasF
Azarias Londoño
83′ Replaced by J. Fajardo
21
F
César Yanis
20
M
Hannibal Godoy
19
F
Alberto Quintero
10
F
Ismael Diaz
8
M
Adalberto Carrasquilla
26
d
Jorge Gutierrez
25
d
Roderick Miller
d
Eric Davis
90′ Replaced by C. Blackman
5
d
Edgardo Fariña
4
d
Fidel Escobar
12
G
César Samudio
1
G
Luis Mejia
trainer
Thomas Christiansen
1
G
Dominik Livakovic
6.7
4
d
Josep Guardiol
6.6
3
d
Marin Pongracic
6.6
6
d
Josip Sutalo
7.2
d
Josip Stanišić
54′
8
M
Mateo Kovačić
6.3
10
M
Luka Modric (C)
6.9
14
M
Ivan Perišić
6.7
16
M
Martin Baturina
6.6
24
M
Marco Pasalic
6.6
26
F
Petar Musa
6.3
World Cup Classification – Group Stage
Ante Budimir struck in the second half to secure a tight 1-0 win for Croatia over Panama at BMO Field.
The veteran striker proved to be the hero in a World Cup clash on Tuesday. His one goal settled a game that offered very few clear-cut chances for either team.
Both teams went into this crucial group stage match desperate for points after early defeats. Croatia needed a win to keep their tournament hopes alive, while Panama looked to cause a major upset.
The game started at a slow pace with Croatia dominating the ball. Master midfielder Luka Modrić controlled the pace, but Panama defended deep and limited space in the final third.
Panama’s defender César Blackman has worked tirelessly to stop the Croatian advances on the sides. Yoel Bárcenas also made a consistent follow-up to help his defenders contain the European attackers.
Neither goalkeeper faced a serious challenge during a quiet first half. The referee blew the half-time whistle with the score tied at 0-0 and without a shot on goal recorded.
Both coaches had to give their teams some life during the break. Croatia needed quicker passes to break the lines, while Panama needed to show more ambition on the counter-attack.
The decisive moment came in the 54th minute of the game. Budimir found space inside the penalty area, latched on to a pass and guided home a neat finish past the keeper.
Panama tried to fight back, but struggled to maintain possession in the face of Croatia’s pressure. Frustration grew and Bárcenas received a yellow card in the 61st minute for a wrong tackle.
Croatia used their experience to manage the final stages of the match. In added time, Petar Sučić was shown a yellow card as Croatia successfully shut down Panama’s last desperate attack.
Croatia controlled the game with 64 percent possession and completed 272 successful passes. However, chances remained incredibly rare, with Croatia recording an expected goal value of 0.05 against Panama’s 0.06.
This hard-fought victory gives Croatia three vital points as they fight to qualify for the knockout rounds. Panama face an uphill battle after failing to register a shot on target.
