Croatia beats Ghana to reach World Cup last‑32
Croatia secured a 2‑1 victory over Ghana in Philadelphia, advancing to the FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 32. Petar Sučić opened the scoring in the 31st minute, while Ghana equalised through Derrick Luckassen in the 73rd. Seven minutes from time, Luka Modrić delivered a corner that Nikola Vlašić headed home for the winner. The match gave Modrić the record as the oldest player ever to register a World Cup assist, a statistic kept since 1966.
Coach Zlatko Dalić praised the team’s tactical discipline and highlighted Modrić’s influence, saying the squad had returned to “the Croatia of old.” The win placed Croatia second in Group L behind England and set up a knockout‑stage clash with Portugal in Toronto. Ghana, already qualified as a best‑third‑placed side, will face Colombia in the next round.