Ante Budimir’s 54th-minute tap-in at the BMO Field ended Panama’s resistance and their World Cup, while breathing life into Croatia’s faltering campaign. The Osasuna forward, introduced at the interval, converted Josip Stanisic’s low cross at the far post to settle a tense Group L contest that had, until that moment, been shaped more by Panamanian ambition than Croatian control. The 1-0 defeat, Panama’s second by a single goal, confirmed their elimination with one match remaining; Croatia, beaten 4-2 by England in their opener, climbed to three points and will face Ghana on Saturday with a place in the last 32 at stake.

For long stretches, the pattern defied the rankings. Panama, coached by the Dane Thomas Christiansen, deployed a compact 5-4-1 block and repeatedly threatened on the counter through the speed of Amir Murillo and José Luis Rodríguez. In the 23rd minute, Rodríguez connected with a Murillo cross and forced Dominik Livaković to tip his header onto the crossbar, though the effort would not have stood because the ball had already run out of play. Croatia, with Luka Modric making his 200th international appearance, struggled to generate rhythm; their only first-half attempt on target arrived in stoppage time when Martin Baturina’s long-range drive was turned behind by Orlando Mosquera. Viewed from Central America, Panama had not merely contained a European heavyweight but had, for half an hour, looked the more coherent side.

Zlatko Dalić’s double substitution at the break – Budimir for Petar Musa and Andrej Kramarić for Joško Gvardiol – altered the match’s geometry. Croatia pressed higher, found more presence in the box, and broke through when Stanisic overlapped on the right and delivered a ball that evaded Mosquera and found Budimir unmarked. The goal exposed Panama’s fragility in transition: three minutes later, a Modric through-ball sent Marco Pašalić clean through, but the former Dortmund winger chipped weakly at Mosquera and then blazed the rebound over. Panama refused to fold. Murillo tested Livaković twice in quick succession midway through the half, and Carlos Harvey’s header from a corner forced another sharp save. Yet the equaliser never came, extending Panama’s World Cup goalless streak and leaving Christiansen to reflect that “you cannot win a match if you don’t score,” even as he declared himself “super proud” of his players’ endeavour.

The result reshapes Group L ahead of Saturday’s simultaneous finales. England and Ghana, who drew 0-0 earlier in the day, sit on four points, with England ahead on goal difference. Croatia’s three points leave them needing to beat Ghana to guarantee progression; a draw could suffice only if other results align and the third-place ranking permits. Panama, pointless, will face England in New Jersey seeking a first-ever World Cup victory. Modric, substituted to a standing ovation in the 81st minute and hoisted aloft by teammates at full time, was described by Dalić as a “born leader” uncomfortable with grand gestures, but the night’s true tribute was the win that kept his fifth World Cup alive.

For Croatia, the equation is simple: defeat Ghana in Philadelphia and they will almost certainly advance, preserving a record of never having failed to reach the knockout stage after surviving the group. For Panama, the tournament ends with a sense of progress measured in competitive margins rather than points. Christiansen insisted his players “won’t be where they are today” after these two matches, a sentiment that, from the perspective of a region still chasing its first World Cup win, carries weight beyond the scoreboard.