Croatia snatched a precious and thrilling 2-1 victory over Ghana on Sunday in the third and final round of Group 12 matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, securing the Vatreni's passage to the round of 32 as runners-up on 6 points, behind group winners England on 7 points.
Despite the defeat, Ghana's Black Stars also progressed to the next round as one of the best third-placed teams, finishing the group stage on 4 points, while Panama were eliminated in last place with no points after losing 2-0 to England.
The two sides produced a compelling, open contest until the final moments. Croatia asserted relative dominance in the first half, drawing on the experience of captain Luka Modrić and the midfield movement of Martin Baturina and Petar Sučić.
Croatia almost opened the scoring early when Nikola Vlašić unleashed a powerful shot that struck the left post in the 17th minute, before the Vatreni continued pressing through crosses that threatened the goal of Ghanaian goalkeeper Benjamin Asare.
Croatia's superiority paid off in the 31st minute when Petar Sučić received a pass from Mateo Kovačić and drove a powerful shot from outside the penalty area into the bottom-left corner of Ghana's net, giving his side the lead heading into half-time.
At the start of the second half, Ghana sought a way back into the match through the runs of Antoine Semenyo and Kamal Deen Sulemana, pressing Croatia's defence with increasing intensity before reaping the reward in the 73rd minute. Substitute Ernest Nuamah delivered a cross from a set piece, and Derrick Lekassen converted from close range. After a VAR review, the goal was confirmed to the delight of the Ghanaian contingent.
The Black Stars' joy did not last long, however, as Croatia regained control and their coach made several attacking substitutions that produced the winning goal seven minutes from the end. In the 83rd minute, Nikola Vlašić rose to meet a precise cross delivered by captain Luka Modrić from a corner kick and headed it into the left corner of Ghana's goal, scoring the decisive winner.
The closing minutes saw intense Ghanaian pressure in search of an equaliser, most notably a shot from Marvin Zinaya that Croatia's defence repelled. Croatia claimed a valuable victory to confirm their place in the knockout rounds, while Ghana departed with heads held high after securing a round-of-32 berth as one of the best third-placed teams.