Croatia edge Panama to claim first World Cup victory

Croatia secured their first win of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, defeating Panama 1-0 in a closely fought Group L encounter in Toronto.

Both teams entered the match seeking their first points of the tournament, but neither side was able to break the deadlock during a tightly contested first half, which ended goalless.

Croatia finally found the decisive goal in the 54th minute when Ante Budimir converted from close range after receiving a cross from Josip Stanisic.

The victory provides an important boost for Croatia following their 4-2 defeat to England in their opening match of the tournament.

For Panama, the result marked a second consecutive 1-0 loss after their opening defeat to Ghana.

The setback leaves Panama without any points and eliminates them from contention for a place in the knockout stages, making them the fifth team to be knocked out of the competition.

Stabil.Az