Croatia reignite World Cup hopes and send Panama crashing out in landmark appearance for Luka Modric

On a night defined by tension and tactical battles, the spotlight belonged to Croatia’s everlasting captain Modric. The veteran midfielder became only the fourth male player in history to reach 200 senior international appearances, joining an elite club that includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Kuwait's Bader al-Mutawa.

Manager Dalic was full of praise for the 40-year-old veteran after the final whistle, stating: "He is still influencing matches and to play for your country 200 times, that is a lot. We need to be very happy to have him in the team. Luka is very humble and this is why he is not for major celebrations. But I am very glad we marked this today in front of our fans." To celebrate the achievement, his teammates wore black T-shirts featuring the words "Infinite Legacy" and the number 200 during the post-match celebrations.

After a frustrating first half where Panama’s disciplined 5-4-1 formation stifled the Croatian attack, Dalic introduced Ante Budimir at the interval to provide more presence in the box. The move paid dividends in the 54th minute when Marco Pasalic played a clever backheel to Josip Stanisic. The defender’s low cross found Budimir at the back post, and the Osasuna all-time top scorer calmly guided the ball home to break the deadlock.

The goal transformed the atmosphere in Toronto, sending the travelling Croatian supporters into raptures. Pasalic had a golden opportunity to double the lead shortly after when he was played through one-on-one, but he was denied by Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera before firing the rebound over the bar. Despite the narrow margin, the tactical shift at half-time proved to be the masterstroke Croatia needed to get their campaign back on track following their opening-day defeat to England.

For Panama, the defeat marks the end of their 2026 journey. Thomas Christiansen's side had shown flashes of quality, particularly in the first half when Jose Luis Rodriguez saw a header deflected onto the underside of the bar by Dominik Livakovic. However, their inability to find the net at this tournament ultimately cost them, as they prepare for a final fixture against England with zero points from two games.

Christiansen remained proud of his team's effort despite the elimination, saying: "They played with that hunger, with that dedication, with that spirit. That’s what we wanted of the team. I’m super proud of them. They [Croatia] put two shots on goal and scored one." The Canaleros fought until the very end, winning seven corners and forcing Livakovic into several sharp saves during a frantic second-half spell, but they lacked the clinical edge required at this level.

The result leaves Group L wide open heading into the final round of fixtures. Following England's 0-0 draw with Ghana earlier in the day, both Ghana and England sit on four points, with Croatia now breathing down their necks on three. The equations are simple for the final day: a victory for Croatia against Ghana in Philadelphia will guarantee their place in the last 32, while England only need to avoid defeat against the already-eliminated Panama to progress.

Reflecting on the pressure, Pasalic admitted: "We were pretty aware of our quality and the situation that we were in. What we didn’t do in the first half, we did in the second half. We’ve been relieved of the burden and now we can move on." With the momentum now on their side and Modric continuing to defy time, the 2018 finalists look ready to fight for their place in the knockout rounds once again.