Croatia snatch second by beating Ghana but both through to World Cup knockout stage
Croatia defeated Ghana in a 2026 World Cup match, securing their place in the knockout stage alongside their opponents. Despite the match being a potential 'dead rubber,' Croatia played aggressively to secure a win, with Luka Modric delivering a standout performance.
Why it matters
The result confirms the progression of both teams to the round of 32, maintaining the competitive momentum of the tournament.
Croatia's Nikola Vlasic spreads his arms after nodding home what proved to be his team’s winner. Croatia's Nikola Vlasic spreads his arms after nodding home what proved to be his team’s winner. World Cup 2026 Croatia snatch second by beating Ghana but both through to World Cup knockout stage Paul MacInnes at Philadelphia Stadium Sat 27 Jun 2026 19.26 EDT Last modified on Sat 27 Jun 2026 23.34 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google It had been another rainy day in Pennsylvania and with no roof at the Philadelphia Stadium, the risk of 65,000 people in ponchos left feeling miserable was real. Fortunately this predicted dead rubber turned out to be nothing of the kind, and with Luka Modric rolling back the years once again, the memories made were positive.
Standard sports journalism focusing on match results and player performance.
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