Philadelphia, USA – Croatia secured direct qualification to the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Ghana 2-1 in their final group stage match. This victory secured them second place in Group L.
The Croatian team imposed their superiority during the first half, and threatened Ghana’s goal on more than one occasion, after Nikola Vlasic’s shot hit the post.
Then, the Ghanaian goalkeeper made a brilliant save to deny Ivan Perisic’s header. Finally, Luka Suic broke the deadlock with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area in the 31st minute.
⚽️🇭🇷 بيتار سوتشيتش يهز الشباك ويمنح كرواتيا التقدم 🔥
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— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) June 27, 2026In the second half, Ghana thought they had equalized after Derek Lucassen scored, but the assistant referee disallowed the goal for offside. VAR then intervened and confirmed the goal, bringing the game back to square one in the 73rd minute.
ديريك لوكاسن يحرز التعادل للمنتخب الغاني
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— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) June 27, 2026The Croatian team refused to settle for a draw, with Nikola Vlašić scoring the winning goal with a perfectly placed header from a Luka Modrić corner kick. This secured three valuable points for his country in the final minutes.
كرواتيا تعود للتقدم من جديد برأسية نيكولا فلاسيتش
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— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) June 27, 2026With this victory, Croatia raised its points tally to secure second place and qualify directly for the round of 32. In contrast, Ghana dropped to third place, but ensured its continuation in the tournament as one of the best third-placed teams.
On the other hand, England finished the group stage at the top of the group with 7 points.
