Croatia beats Panama 1‑0 at World Cup group match in Toronto

Croatia's national football team secured a 1‑0 victory over Panama in the second round of Group L at the 2026 World Cup in Toronto, earning its first points of the tournament. Coach Zlatko Dalić explained his anger during the halftime break, saying the long balls were “destroying” his side and that the adjustments made after the pause helped stabilise the team.

The match attracted a large domestic TV audience, with more than 550,000 viewers watching the broadcast on HRT‑HTV2, an average minute‑by‑minute audience share of 15.55 % and an overall share of 86.28 %. Croatia will face Ghana in their next group game on 27 June 2026.