Croatia's win over Ghana shapes Colombia's World Cup 2026 opponent

Croatia defeated Ghana 2‑1 in Philadelphia, securing second place in Group L of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. Petar Sučić opened the scoring, Derrick Luckassen equalised for Ghana, and Nicola Vlašić headed the winning goal in the closing minutes. The result determines whether Colombia will face Ghana or Croatia in the round of sixteen, depending on the outcome of Colombia's upcoming match against Portugal.

Colombia must now win against Portugal to claim the group top spot and a likely clash with Croatia; a loss would set up a duel with Ghana. The group’s standings were also influenced by England’s 2‑0 victory over Panama, which confirmed England as group leaders.