Substitute Budimir scores as Croatia edges Panama to stay in World Cup hunt

Substitute Ante Budimir proved to be the hero for Croatia, scoring the decisive goal in their 1-0 victory over Panama in the 2026 World Cup. The win keeps Croatia's dreams of progressing in the tournament alive, though they still face a challenging path ahead.

Despite the presence of star player Luka Modric, who was playing in his 200th international match, Croatia struggled for long periods against a determined Panamanian side. Panama started brightly, creating several chances and troubling the Croatian defense. Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic made a crucial save early on to deny Jose Luis Rodrigues.

However, Croatia's coach Zlatko Dalic made impactful substitutions at halftime, bringing on Andrej Kramaric and Ante Budimir. These changes injected much-needed energy into the Croatian attack. Just nine minutes into the second half, a well-executed play down the left flank resulted in Budimir scoring the goal that ultimately secured the three points.

Panama pushed for an equalizer, but Croatia came closest to adding to their lead. Modric set up Marco Pasalic on a counter-attack, but Pasalic missed the target twice when presented with clear opportunities. The final whistle confirmed Croatia's narrow victory.

The loss eliminates Panama from the World Cup. This is their second appearance in the tournament, and they are still searching for their first win. Their final group match will be against England, whom they lost to 6-1 in the 2018 World Cup.

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It wasn't particularly pretty, but it was exactly what Croatia needed.