Croatia took sole possession of third place in Group L of the 2026 World Cup today by defeating Panama 1-0, a result that eliminated the Central American side, in a second-round match held in Toronto, Canada.
Following their 4-2 defeat against England in the opening match, the Croatians—who were runners-up in 2018 and finished third in 2022—struggled to overcome the Panamanian defense. They ultimately sealed the win thanks to a solitary goal in the 54th minute from substitute Ante Budimir, who was assisted by Josip Stanišić.
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After two rounds of fixtures, Group L is led by England and Carlos Queiroz’s Ghana, who played out a 0-0 draw to reach four points each. Croatia sits in third place with three points, while Panama is fourth and last with zero points, meaning they can no longer mathematically reach the round of 32.
Group L standings: matchday 2 complete
| Position | Team | Matches | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Points | Status |
| 1st | England | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 | In Contention |
| 2nd | Ghana | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | In Contention |
| 3rd | Croatia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 | In Contention |
| 4th | Panama | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 | Eliminated |
