Croatia vs Ghana: Black Stars Already Through as Modric's Final Chapter Hangs in the Balance
by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga
Everything on the Line in Philadelphia
Ghana and England, both on four points, are already through to the RO32 of the 2026 World Cup. Croatia, sitting on three points, must win to secure their chances of joining them.
It’s true that they occupy a playoff spot for third-place teams. However, the 9th-placed Algeria and 12th-placed DR Congo still have a game to play.
Algeria are on exactly 3 points as Croatia, but only sit two places behind due to goal-difference. Meanwhile, Congo are last-placed in the 12-team third-place table, but can catapult all the way to 5th if they beat Uzbekistan on the final day.
Ghana's Road to the Knockout Round
Carlos Queiroz took charge of Ghana just two months before the tournament began, replacing Otto Addo after a run of four consecutive defeats. But what’s been remarkable has been the speed of the turnaround.
Against Panama in the opener in Toronto, the Black Stars controlled the match and won 1-0, starting their campaign on a high note.
Even more impressive was against England, where Queiroz deployed a compact 5-4-1 system that kept the Three Lions to a goalless draw.
Centre-backs Jonas Adjetey and Eric Opoku dominated the aerial duels. But all the praise rightfully goes to Goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, local Ghanaian Premier League for Hearts of Oak.
Asare denied Harry Kane on multiple occasions and earned recognition as one of the standout performers of the group stage so far.
A Penalty That Was Not Given
Interestingly, Ghana came close to beating England outright. Prince Kwabena Adu broke through in the second half and was brought down by Ezri Konsa inside the penalty area.
Yet, no penalty was awarded, and substitute Oppong Peprah later produced a goal-line clearance to preserve the clean sheet.
Still, the Black Stars took a point and moved to four, enough to confirm their knockout spot before today's final match had even started.
With qualification secured, Queiroz may choose to rest key players ahead of the Round of 32, which opens questions about the best football prediction for this match.
Thomas Partey, Antoine Semenyo and captain Jordan Ayew have all started both matches and will be needed fresh for the knockout rounds. Whether Queiroz sends out a full-strength side or protects his squad for what comes next will shape the entire contest.
Croatia: Win or Hope Rivals Lose
Croatia's opening 4-2 defeat to England left them in immediate trouble. The response against Panama was functional rather than convincing, with Ante Budimir scoring the only goal in the 54th minute after a low cross from Josip Stanisic.
In truth, the numbers tell the story of where this squad stands. Croatia have conceded six goals in two group matches, a record that sits uncomfortably alongside their recent history of defensive solidity at major tournaments.
Luka Modric played his 200th match for Croatia in the Panama game, becoming just the fourth player in history to reach that number.
At 40, he is appearing in his fifth World Cup, a feat matched by only a handful of players in the history of the competition.
Tonight could be his last match on this stage. The possibility alone will give this fixture an emotional weight that the Group L table does not fully capture.
Croatia remains in the top-eight on the third-place table, but all that could quickly change if DR Congo beats Uzbekistan and Algeria earns just a single point from Austria.
