Croatia secured a place in the knockout stage of the tournament with a 2-1 victory over Ghana on Sunday in Philadelphia. The result ensured Croatia finished second in Group L, behind England, while Ghana ended the group in third place.

Ghana had already guaranteed advancement to the round of 32, marking their first progression to the knockout phase since 2010. Despite the early assurance of qualification, Ghana pushed for a positive result against Croatia but ultimately fell short.

Croatia opened the scoring in the 31st minute when Luka Sucic unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, registering his second goal for the national team. Ghana responded, maintaining pressure throughout the match, but it was Nikola Vlasic who delivered the decisive blow.

In the 83rd minute, Vlasic headed in a corner delivered by Luka Modric, securing the winning goal and putting Croatia’s campaign back on track after their third-place finish in the previous tournament in 2022. The victory ensured Croatia’s progression to the knockout rounds alongside Ghana and England, setting up the next phase of the competition for both teams.