Panama vs Croatia | FIFA World Cup 2026- Group Stage | Preview and Predictions

Panama will face a stern test against a formidable Croatia side in a clash where both sides are facing an uphill battle to stay in the competition, making a win an absolute necessity for both sides for qualification to the knockout stages of the World Cup.

Here is our Preview and Predictions for the game.

FIFA WC26 | Group L: PAN vs CRO | 04:30, 23 June, 2026

Panama gave a brilliant account of themselves in what was a physical, robust, and a staunchly-fought contest against Ghana. They had the better of the chances and openings in what was a pretty cagey first half, but they failed to take those and make them count.

The Central American side were pretty well-drilled and well-organised on defence, and just when it felt like they had done enough to secure what was going to be their first-ever point in the World Cup finals, they had their hearts broken by what was the latest goal scored in World Cup history.

Despite the loss, they have a lot of positives to take from that fixture in terms of their defensive resilience and organisation. With head coach Thomas Christiansen promising a similarly intense performance from his wards, Croatia might as well prepare themselves for a battle of attrition.

For Croatia, it began with a 4-2 defeat against England that showcased their best and worst bits in equal measure. In the first half, they were fiercely competitive and were good value for the 2-2 scoreline at half-time as they refused to give in and matched England band for band despite going down twice.

In the second half, however, the familiar Croatian shortcomings were brutally exposed in a 10-minute burst where England cut through them at will like a hot knife through butter. It took an otherworldly performance between the sticks from goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic to keep the scoreline respectable at 3-2 because that could have been an embarrassing result had England got their way in that period.

Apart from Livakovic, Martin Baturina was impressive for the Croats as he took an excellent strike for his goal to equalise for the first time. But they will have to be much better than they were in the second half because they can still qualify for the next stage with the quality they have at their disposal.

Panama will rely on their rugged defense and their staunch and compact block to make life difficult for the Croatians as they will look to take the game as deep as possible to get a couple of good looks for themselves. As for Croatia, they will seek to get an early goal that will not only settle the nerves, but also allow them to dictate terms of the game before Panama even looks to play the way they want to.

Croatia will definitely start the game as favourites, but expect Panama to be feisty opponents for Luka Modric and Company.

Score Predictions: Panama 0- 3 Croatia

Venue: Toronto Stadium, Toronto.