Panama vs Croatia | Group L, Matchday 13 | Tuesday 23 June 2026, 19:00 local (23:00 BST) | BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
Live on BBC / iPlayer in the UK
Group L standings after Matchday 1:
1. England — P1 W1 D0 L0 GD +2 Pts 3
2. Ghana — P1 W1 D0 L0 GD +1 Pts 3
3. Panama — P1 W0 D0 L1 GD -1 Pts 0
4. Croatia — P1 W0 D0 L1 GD -2 Pts 0
Both Panama and Croatia head into Matchday 2 with zero points after opening defeats, which transforms this fixture into something close to a knockout match. A defeat for either side would leave them needing a miracle combination of results on the final matchday; a win, by contrast, keeps realistic qualification hopes alive. With England and Ghana each claiming three points on Matchday 1, any side that loses in Toronto will almost certainly need to win and rely on favours elsewhere, making this one of the most consequential Group L games of the round.
Croatia carry far greater World Cup pedigree into this fixture and, despite their opening loss to England, possess the quality to overcome a Panama side still searching for its first-ever World Cup point. Croatia to win at 4/7 is the headline selection, with the gap in squad depth and tournament experience between these two sides justifying backing the Croatians even at relatively short odds.
Panama are appearing at only their second World Cup, having exited at the group stage in 2018 without a point. Their defeat to Ghana in the opener, while disappointing, was narrow (0-1), and Thomas Christiansen’s side showed some defensive resilience before running out of ideas in attack. Captain Aníbal Godoy anchors a workmanlike midfield, but Panama’s attacking options are limited against quality European opposition, and they are yet to score a goal at this tournament.
Croatia arrive at BMO Field in a very different kind of pressure. Zlatko Dalic’s side have been to the final in 2018 and claimed third place in 2022, so a group-stage exit would be a significant underperformance. Their 2-4 defeat to England on Matchday 1 was alarming in how open they were, yet they did manage two goals, suggesting there is still attacking intent in this squad even if the defensive shape remains unreliable. For a team containing Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perisic, and Andrej Kramaric, this is very much a match they should be capable of winning.
The contest hinges on whether Panama can frustrate Croatia’s midfield engine long enough to stay in the game, or whether Dalic’s side find their rhythm quickly. Croatia’s qualifying campaign, which produced seven wins and one draw from eight matches, underlines that they are capable of efficient, controlled performances, even if their Matchday 1 display suggested some vulnerability at the back. Panama will look to stay compact and hit on the counter, as they did during a CONCACAF qualifying run of five wins and three draws without a defeat.
Panama — last five results:
Ghana (N): Lost 0-1 (FIFA World Cup)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (N): Drew 1-1 (Friendly)
Dominican Republic (H): Won 4-2 (Friendly)
Brazil (A): Lost 2-6 (Friendly)
South Africa (A): Won 2-1 (Friendly)
Panama’s pre-tournament friendlies offered a mixed picture. The 4-2 win over Dominican Republic was encouraging, though the opposition was modest. A 2-6 thrashing by Brazil laid bare the gulf that can exist between Panama and top-level opposition, and the narrow 0-1 defeat to Ghana in their World Cup opener continued a pattern of battling but ultimately falling short against better-organised teams.
Croatia — last five results:
England (A): Lost 2-4 (FIFA World Cup)
Slovenia (H): Won 2-1 (Friendly)
Belgium (H): Lost 0-2 (Friendly)
Brazil (N): Lost 1-3 (Friendly)
Colombia (N): Won 2-1 (Friendly)
Croatia’s recent form is inconsistent: wins over Slovenia and Colombia sandwiched defeats to Belgium and Brazil before the World Cup. The 2-4 loss to England on Matchday 1 was Croatia’s heaviest defeat in the group stage for some time, but it came against a strong England side. Dalic will demand a response against Panama, and the underlying quality of this squad suggests they are capable of delivering one.
Panama head coach Thomas Christiansen has a settled squad available. Ismael Diaz, the team’s most prolific recent scorer, is the key creative threat from midfield alongside Jose Luis Rodriguez and Adalberto Carrasquilla. Veteran midfielder Alberto Quintero and captain Godoy provide experience and leadership, and Christiansen is expected to stick with a defensive-minded shape after a disciplined if goalless performance against Ghana. Jose Fajardo and Cecilio Waterman are the primary attacking outlets, though Panama remain without a World Cup goal in 2026 so far.
Croatia have no new injury concerns reported following the England match, though Dalic is likely to assess his defensive options after conceding four goals. Dominik Livakovic is expected to retain his place in goal. The experienced core of Modric, Kovacic, and Perisic is expected to start, with Andrej Kramaric leading the attack. Martin Baturina and Petar Musa both scored against England, so Dalic may be reluctant to change a forward line that showed goal threat despite the defeat. Josko Gvardiol at left back remains one of Croatia’s most reliable defensive figures.
Predicted XI (4-4-2): Mejia; Murillo, Escobar, Cordoba, Harvey; Barcenas, Godoy (c), Carrasquilla, Diaz; Fajardo, Waterman
Predicted XI – squads to be confirmed.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Livakovic; Stanisic, Caleta-Car, Gvardiol, Sutalo; Kovacic, Modric (c), M. Pasalic; Baturina, Kramaric, Perisic
Predicted XI – squads to be confirmed.
The contest that is most likely to decide the result is Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic against Panama’s midfield block of Aníbal Godoy and Adalberto Carrasquilla. Croatia’s central midfield pair bring an enormous amount of quality and experience at this level: Modric has 198 caps and 29 international goals, while Kovacic has 113 caps and offers relentless energy. Panama’s midfield worked hard to stay compact against Ghana, but Croatia’s technical quality in tight spaces is on a different level. If Modric and Kovacic are allowed to dictate tempo, Croatia should control possession and create the openings that their forward line needs to end Panama’s resistance.
Main Pick: Croatia to Win — 4/7
Croatia’s squad quality, World Cup experience, and motivation after a damaging opening loss make them clear favourites here. Panama are yet to score at this tournament and face a Croatian side that boasts some of the most experienced players in the competition. Even at short odds, Croatia to win is the most evidence-backed selection in this match.
Goals Market: Under 2.5 Goals — 10/11
Panama are defensively organised and have conceded just once in this tournament. Croatia may dominate possession but, given the compressed defensive shape Panama will deploy, this could be a tight affair with goals at a premium. Under 2.5 goals is available at near-even money and represents a reasonable play if Croatia struggle to break down a stubborn Panamanian backline.
Scorer Market: Andrej Kramaric Anytime Scorer
Kramaric is Croatia’s most clinical forward with 36 international goals from 116 caps, and leads Croatia’s recent scoring charts. He is the most reliable goal threat in Dalic’s squad and should feature prominently against a Panama side that has shown defensive fragility at times during qualifying. His record makes him the standout pick in the scorer markets.
The following are the best available prices across leading operators at the time of writing.
Panama Win — 6/1
Draw — 3/1
Croatia Win — 4/7
Over 2.5 Goals — 11/10
Under 2.5 Goals — 10/11
Panama vs Croatia kicks off at 19:00 local time (23:00 BST) on Tuesday 23 June 2026 at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada. UK viewers can watch live on BBC / iPlayer. The match is also available via ITV in the UK, and internationally across CTV and TSN in Canada, Fox and Telemundo in the USA, and NOS in the Netherlands.
To get the best available price on Panama vs Croatia, follow these steps:
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