WC 2026: Croatia beat Ghana to secure playoff spot

The Matchday 3 fixtures in Group L of the FIFA World Cup concluded dramatically. The Croatia national team secured a hard-fought victory against Ghana, confirming their progression to the next stage. Notably, despite the defeat, the Africans will also not be leaving the tournament.

Thrilling match and decisive goals

The match began at a high tempo as expected. The Croatians managed to open the scoring in the 31st minute thanks to a precise strike by Sučić. In the second half, the Ghana representatives pushed forward with great intensity, and Lykkassen restored parity in the 73rd minute.

However, Croatia's experience eventually told: in the 83rd minute, Nikola Vlašić found the back of the net, delivering a crucial victory for his team.

WC 2026. Matchday 3 Croatia — Ghana 2:1 Goals: Sučić (31), Vlašić (83) — Lykkassen (73).

Final group standings: Both teams in the playoffs!

Following this victory, Croatia reached 6 points, securing 2nd place in the group and a ticket to the Round of 16.

The Ghana national team finished 3rd in Group L with 4 points. According to the tournament regulations, the Africans qualified for the playoffs as one of the best third-placed teams.

Starting Lineups

Check out the list of players who started the match:

Croatia: Livaković, Stanišić, Šutalo, Pongračić, Sučić, Modrić, Kovačić, Vlašić, Baturina, Perišić, Budimir.
Ghana: Asare, Senaya, Adjeti, Lykkassen, Mensah, Seibo, Partey, Owusu, Ayew, Semenyo, Sulemana.

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