Croatia secured a 1-0 victory over Panama in their World Cup group-stage match on Tuesday night in Toronto, keeping their hopes alive for advancing to the knockout rounds. The decisive goal came in the 54th minute, just four minutes after Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic introduced an additional forward. Josip Stanisic exploited space on the right flank and delivered a precise cross to Ante Budimir, who converted the chance with a tap-in.

The win positions Croatia for their final group game against Ghana on Saturday, while Panama was eliminated from the tournament, still searching for its first World Cup point in its second appearance. Croatia’s coach acknowledged the game was tougher than anticipated, noting that his team struggled to respond effectively, possibly due to the high stakes involved in securing the crucial three points.

Shortly after the goal, Croatia came close to doubling their lead when captain Luka Modric, celebrating his 200th appearance for the national team, set up Marco Pasalic on a breakaway. However, Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera made a key save to keep his team in the match.

The closely contested game highlighted Panama’s defensive resilience, making scoring opportunities scarce for Croatia until the late introduction of an extra attacker shifted the dynamic. With the narrow victory, Croatia remains in contention to advance from the group, needing a favorable result against Ghana to confirm their progression to the knockout phase.