The final match of the group stage delivered exactly the kind of decider this tournament has specialized in — a lead, an equalizer, and a late winner, with a sprinkle of history on top. Luka Sučić opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a strike from distance that had the Lincoln Financial Field crowd on its feet, sending Croatia into the break in front.
Ghana, needing a result to guarantee their place among the tournament's best third-placed sides, responded through Derrick Luckassen, who rose to meet a Mohammed Kudus free kick delivery in the 73rd minute and level the match. For ten minutes, Ghana looked set to snatch a result that would have reshaped the entire group's complexion.
Then, in the 83rd minute, Luka Modrić did what Luka Modrić does. A pinpoint pass found Nikola Vlašić, who finished calmly to restore Croatia's lead and, in the process, made Modrić — at 40 years and change — the oldest player ever to register an assist at a World Cup. Croatia's veteran captain capped his fourth and almost certainly final World Cup with one more indelible mark on the record books.
Zlatko Dalić's Croatia finish second in Group L and advance to face Portugal in the round of 32. Ghana's defeat doesn't end their tournament outright — they finish third, but with the group stage now complete across all 12 groups, their fate as a possible best-third-placed qualifier comes down to the final tiebreak math.
A captain's assist in what may be his last World Cup match, setting a record for the ages in the process. There's a strong case this is the most fitting send-off of the tournament so far.
A spirited response to go level deserved more, but a third-place finish here means their knockout fate now rests on results elsewhere across the other 11 groups.
Lead, equalizer, late winner. Match 072 was a microcosm of a group stage that refused to settle anything early, all the way to its final whistle.
| Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏴 England | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +4 | 7 |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 🇬🇭 Ghana | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 🇵🇦 Panama | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 0 |
England and Croatia advance from Group L. Ghana finish third on 4 points and progress as one of the eight best third-placed teams across all 12 groups, setting up a round of 32 meeting with Colombia. Panama are eliminated without a point — and with that result, the group stage of FIFA World Cup 2026 is officially complete.