Panama vs Croatia World Cup clash set for Toronto as Modrić marks 200th appearance

Panama’s national team will travel to Toronto on Sunday for final preparations ahead of their Group L match against Croatia at the 2026 World Cup. Midfielder Alberto “Negrito” Quintero said the squad is focused on concentrating for the full 90 minutes and hopes to "write history" by advancing to the knockout stage after a 0‑1 loss to Ghana. He also confirmed that the tournament will be his last appearance for Panama, ending a career with 141 caps.

Croatia, coming off a 4‑2 defeat to England, view the Panama game as a must‑win. Assistant coach Ivica Olić described the team as favourites and stressed the need for dominance and high pressing. Statistics show that Croatia has never progressed past the group stage after losing its opening match, adding pressure to break that pattern.

Captain Luka Modrić will earn his 200th cap in the encounter, becoming only the fourth player worldwide to reach that milestone after Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Bader Al‑Mutawa. The match will be played at Toronto’s BMO Field, the smallest stadium at the tournament, recently expanded to meet FIFA’s 40,000‑seat requirement.

Both sides will be intent on securing three points to keep their World Cup hopes alive, with the venue and the historic personal achievement for Modrić adding extra narrative to the showdown.