Croatia survived, corrected a first half lacking depth, and defeated Panama 1–0 at Toronto Stadium with a goal from Ante Budimir—essential to revive their chances in Group L and fatal for Panama, who with two defeats, were eliminated.

Zlatko Dalic's team, shaken by a 4–2 loss to England in the first round, found relief in a simple and decisive play: Josip Stanisic opened from the right, crossed into the six-yard box, and Budimir, who had just replaced Petar Musa at halftime, finished.

The night had another inevitable focus: Luka Modric. The Croatian captain reached 200 international caps, joining the select men's club of players who have achieved that milestone, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Bader Al-Mutawa, and Lionel Messi. But the milestone did not hide Croatia's problems for many minutes, as they were uncomfortable against Panama's disciplined defensive setup and Amir Murillo's runs down the right.

Panama, needing points after losing to Ghana, with England still ahead, understood the game better during the first half hour. Christiansen deployed a line of five defenders, four tightly packed midfielders, and José Fajardo as the reference. The plan closed the interior corridors to Modric, Kovacic, and Baturina, pushing Croatia into predictable, overly lateral circulation.

Panama's best chance came in the 23rd minute. Murillo again won space on the right, crossed into the area, and José Luis Rodríguez connected with a header that Livakovic deflected just enough to send it onto the crossbar. It was the moment that could have changed the match and confirmed the damage Panama was inflicting down Gvardiol's side.

Croatia barely responded before halftime with a long-range Baturina shot in added time, well handled by Orlando Mosquera. The first half ended with more sense of Panamanian control than Croatian superiority, though the score remained intact.

Changes at halftime

Dalic acted at halftime. He withdrew Musa and Gvardiol, bringing on Budimir and Kramaric, and the change had immediate effect. Croatia loaded the box more, found more presence among the center-backs, and in the 54th minute, settled the match. Stanisic appeared freely on the right, and Budimir, alone in the six-yard box, pushed in the 0–1.

Panama felt the blow. They lost security in their buildup, conceded transitions, and Mosquera had to intervene against Marco Pasalic soon after. Christiansen made changes with Waterman, Azarías Londoño, Eric Davis, and Tomás Rodríguez, but the Central American team mixed drive with haste.

Still, Panama did not surrender. Murillo, their best player, again tested Livakovic in the 67th minute—first with a shot from outside the box and then in a set-piece action that forced the Croatian keeper into another save. Carlos Harvey also had a clear chance but shot high and wide.

Croatia closed the match with composure, now without Modric, replaced by Mario Pasalic in the final stretch. Petar Sucic saw yellow in added time for a foul that stopped a Panamanian progression near the area. Panama's last free kick went over the bar, and with it, much of their chances vanished.

The earlier 0–0 draw between England and Ghana had increased pressure on both sides. Croatia now sits with three points, still behind the English and Ghanaians, both on four. Panama remains pointless, punished by their lack of finishing in a match where they had phases, organization, and enough chances to deserve more.