World Cup – Croatia narrowly defeats Panama 1-0, with Budimir scoring as a substitute.

In the second round of Group I of the 2026 World Cup, Croatia narrowly defeated Panama 1-0 at BMO Stadium in Toronto, Canada. They currently rank third in the group with 3 points from 1 win and 1 loss, while Panama is eliminated from the group after losing both of their matches.

Croatia and Panama traded attacks in the first half, but their offensive threats were few and far between. In the 1st minute, Marco Pasalic delivered a cross from the right wing, but Luka Modric's header in the box went over the crossbar. In the 16th minute, Michael Murillo's cross from the right wing created a dangerous opportunity, but José Fajardo was a fraction too slow. In the 23rd minute, Michael Murillo crossed from the right wing, and José Rodriguez's header in the box hit the crossbar. In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Ivan Perisic's cutback pass from the left wing found Martin Batulina, whose long-range shot forced a save from Orlando Mosquera.

The second half began with both sides switching ends. In the 53rd minute, Croatia finally broke the deadlock: Josip Stanišić delivered a cross from the right wing, and substitute Ante Budimir finished from close range in the middle. In the 56th minute, Modric's brilliant pass created a one-on-one opportunity for Croatia, but unfortunately, Pasalic's two shots failed to convert into a goal.

After that, Panama gradually took control of the game. In the 67th minute, Amir Murillo's two consecutive shots were quite threatening, but were both saved by Dominique Livakovic. Joel Basenas then took a corner kick from the right, and Carlos Xavi's header in the penalty area was tipped over the crossbar by Livakovic. In the 78th minute, Rodriguez's corner kick from the left was adjusted slightly before Xavi's shot went wide of the right side. Neither side managed to score again, and the final score was 1-0.

Image source: Internet/Sky Sports