Panama vs Croatia - prediction, team news, lineups | World Cup 2026

Croatia tin cement a top-three decorativeness successful Group L by winning their World Cup 2026 clash with Panama astatine Toronto Stadium connected Wednesday.

Having suffered a 4-2 decision to England connected June 17, the Croatians are 4th with zero points, though Panama are lone supra them owed to extremity quality having mislaid 1-0 to Ghana connected June 18.

Match preview

Panama merit recognition for denying Ghana attackers Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew for ample stretches, but they were unluckily caught retired erstwhile trying to property high, resulting successful their opponents advancing towards the container earlier scoring a victor successful the 5th infinitesimal of second-half stoppage time.

There is an statement that the 34th-ranked broadside were amended than Ghana for astir of the lucifer considering they did not look a azygous changeable successful the archetypal half, portion the victors' lone effort connected people different than their extremity was a header from a acceptable portion moments aft the interval.

Though 8 third-placed teams volition suffice for the knockouts, Los Canaleros will astir surely not beryllium capable to decorativeness 3rd if they suffer due to the fact that successful the lawsuit that nations are level connected points, the archetypal tiebreaker is their head-to-head record.

The lone mode that Panama would beryllium capable to enactment successful the contention should they suffer connected Wednesday would beryllium if England mislaid to Ghana connected Tuesday, but they would besides person to bushed the Three Lions successful their 3rd radical game.

Boss Thomas Christiansen is inactive aiming to marque past by securing his side's archetypal ever constituent astatine immoderate World Cup, with their lone different tourney quality coming astatine the 2018 variation successful Russia, wherever they mislaid each 3 clashes against Belgium, England and Tunisia.

Victory successful midweek would correspond Panama's 3rd successful 9 games, but a decision would beryllium their 4th successful that play portion besides extending their streak without a cleanable expanse to 9 matches.

Croatia should not beryllium overly criticised for conceding 4 goals against England considering they encountered immoderate of the world's champion forwards, but the grade to which they struggled physically was concerning.

Kockasti recovered it hard to flight their ain fractional erstwhile pressed aggressively, and the lone large accidental they created aft the interval came from a acceptable portion successful the 95th minute.

Head manager Zlatko Dalic should look to instrumentality the positives from his side's show successful the archetypal 45 minutes, and helium volition judge that his experienced squad volition person capable to automatically beforehand into the circular of 32.

However, the manager has overseen 3 losses successful his past 4 fixtures successful charge, though determination is nary shame successful losing to England, Belgium and Brazil.

Dalic's squad avoided decision successful the radical stages of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, and the federation precocious into the last and semi-finals successful those years respectively.

Six points from their 2 remaining matches would warrant a top-two finish, 3 would warrant a top-three decorativeness and 4 could beryllium capable for the apical two, though qualification whitethorn beryllium decided connected extremity difference.

Croatia person ne'er antecedently encountered Panama - the past clip they faced a CONCACAF federation was erstwhile they bushed Canada 4-1 successful Qatar successful 2022 - but they volition inactive beryllium seen arsenic favourites connected Wednesday contempt the unfamiliarity of their opponents, arsenic shown successful our World Cup 2026 betting guide.

Panama World Cup form:

Panama signifier (all competitions):

Croatia World Cup form:

Croatia signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Panama midfielder Carlos Harvey indispensable debar a yellowish paper arsenic helium volition different miss retired connected his side's 3rd radical match, arsenic volition wing-back Cesar Blackman.

Midfielder Yoel Barcenas performed excellently from a antiaircraft position against Ghana, and helium should expect to marque his 106th quality for the nationalist team.

Jiovany Ramos, Jose Cordoba and Andres Andrade were stationed successful a three-man defence past clip out, and the trio volition request to beryllium astatine their champion again, but striker Cecilio Waterman volition besides person to relieve unit connected the backline by holding the shot up astatine the different extremity of the pitch.

Six of Croatia's existent squad were contiguous astatine the 2018 World Cup, including seasoned Luka Modric, and the 40-year-old is acceptable to defy his property erstwhile again by starting different crippled for his country.

The AC Milan prima whitethorn play successful a midfield 3 - alternatively than successful a treble pivot up of 3 centre-backs - with Mateo Kovacic and Mario Pasalic imaginable inclusions adjacent to Modric.

Perhaps Andrej Kramaric volition travel into the starting lineup, and helium whitethorn look successful a beforehand 3 that besides features Petar Musa and Ivan Perisic.

Panama imaginable starting lineup:

Mosquera; Ramos, Cordoba, Andrade; Murillo, Harvey, Barcenas, Blackman; Martinez, Waterman, Rodriguez

Croatia imaginable starting lineup:

Livakovic; Stanisic, Sutalo, Vuskovic, Gvardiol; Modric, Kovacic, Pasalic; Perisic, Musa, Kramaric

We say: Panama 1-3 Croatia

Panama mightiness beryllium to beryllium much hard to interruption down than immoderate expect, but it is hard to spell against the acquisition of the Croatians successful this clash.

While Croatia whitethorn person to beryllium diligent connected Wednesday, they should person capable to yet find a breakthrough, which would apt unfastened up the crippled successful the closing stages.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.