Croatia secured a 2-1 victory over Ghana, placing them second in Group L. The match saw Luka Modric make history by becoming the oldest player to record an assist at the FIFA World Cup.
The game’s opening goal came from Petar Sucic for Croatia, a strike from outside the box just after the half-hour mark. This goal temporarily put Croatia at the top of Group L. Nikola Vlasic had earlier hit the post for Croatia.
Ghana managed to equalise in the 73rd minute through Derrick Luckassen, who scored from a free-kick delivered by Ernest Nuamah. However, Croatia responded quickly, with Vlasic heading in from a corner, assisted by Modric, to secure all three points.
Modric’s Historic Performance and Croatia’s Resilience
Luka Modric, at 40 years and 291 days old, set a new record for the oldest player to provide an assist in the FIFA World Cup. His performance against Ghana included creating four chances, making 102 touches, and completing 82 accurate passes, the most by any player in the match.
Despite previous perceptions that Croatia might be past their prime, especially after an opening defeat to England in this year’s tournament, the team has demonstrated resilience. They bounced back with consecutive wins to secure second place in their group.
Martin Baturina also played a significant role for Croatia, winning the most duels for his team with eight, recovering possession six times, and drawing five fouls.
Croatia has now reached the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup for the fourth time, marking their third consecutive advancement after 2018 and 2022. Their previous appearances saw them either eliminated in the group stage or reaching the semi-finals, including a run to the final in 2018.
Petar Sucic, at 22 years and 245 days, became the second-youngest player to score for Croatia at the FIFA World Cup. His goal was the 28th from outside the box in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the highest number since 1994.
Nikola Vlasic has shown a consistent scoring record for Croatia, finding the net in three of his last four starts across different years: 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Ghana’s Progression and Upcoming Fixtures
Despite their defeat, Ghana has also secured progression to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup for the third time in their history, following their advancements in 2006 and 2010.
Derrick Luckassen became the fourth Ghanaian player to score on his FIFA World Cup debut, joining Draman Haminu in 2006, Osman Bukari in 2022, and Caleb Yirenkyi in 2026.
Historically, Ghana has struggled against UEFA nations, remaining without a win in their last six games against such opposition across all competitions. Their only victory in their last 16 matches against UEFA teams was a 2-0 friendly win against Switzerland in November 2022.
Nine of Ghana’s last 11 FIFA World Cup goals have been scored in the second half of matches.
As it stands, Croatia is set to face Portugal in the round of 32, while Ghana will play against Colombia. However, these opponents could change depending on the outcome of Portugal’s match against Colombia.
The average age of Croatia’s starting XI against Ghana was 30 years and 94 days, making it their second-oldest for a FIFA World Cup match, only behind their side that won the third-place play-off 2-1 against the Netherlands in 1998.
The match between Croatia and Ghana took place in Philadelphia on June 27.
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Source: theanalyst.com
