Halftime substitute Ante Budimir scored in the 54th minute and Croatia eliminated Panama from World Cup contention with a tightly fought 1-0 victory in a Group L clash at Toronto on Tuesday. It was the first World Cup goal for Budimir, 34, and fifth in a competitive fixture for his country, all of those coming since 2023. Croatia (1-1-0, 3 points) remain third in the group heading into the final matchday, but they can guarantee a top-two finish with a victory over Ghana in their final match on Saturday in Philadelphia.

TORONTO, June 21 : Panama and Croatia meet in a pivotal World Cup clash at Toronto Stadium on Tuesday that neither side can really afford to lose with qualification for the…

World Cup 2026 Croatia must beat Panama in Toronto to stay alive, with the 2018 finalists facing the end of their top-two hopes after a first defeat.