Toronto, June 24 -- Croatia, with the help of Ante Budimir, secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Panama in their Group L clash of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Toronto Stadium on Tuesday (local time), keeping their World Cup campaign on track after an opening 4-2 defeat to England in their campaign-opener.

The match began in a cagey fashion, with Panama looking organised and physical in midfield while Croatia struggled to create clear chances. Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic found little space as Panama pressed high and disrupted Croatia's passing rhythm.

The best chance of the first half came for Panama in the 23rd minute when Panama's Jose Luis Rodriguez met a cross with a powerful header, but goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic produced a superb s...