Croatia 1-0 Panama: Ante Budimir's Goal Eliminates Panama, Sets Up Three-Way Race in World Cup Group L

Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković preserved the lead with three clutch saves, keeping Panama off the scoresheet despite a late push from the Panamanian attack . The final shot count reflected the cagey nature of the contest: Panama managed only one shot on target, while Croatia registered two .

Final score: Panama 0–1 Croatia
Goal-scorer: Ante Budimir, 54th minute, assisted by Josip Stanišić
Venue: BMO Field, Toronto (43,036 spectators)

England 0–0 Ghana: Earlier Matchday 2 Result

Earlier on the same day at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, England and Ghana played to a goalless draw . The match was a tight, defensive affair: neither team had a shot on target until England winger Anthony Gordon's effort in the 57th minute . Ghana's best chance came from Prince Adu in the 79th minute, but Ezri Konsa deflected the ball away in the box .

England's Nico O'Reilly hit the crossbar with a header late in the second half, and Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare made an important save against Bukayo Saka in the 86th minute to preserve the clean sheet . Ghana held only 21% possession but defended superbly throughout .

The draw was considered an upset: England were heavily favored on paper, and Ghana's gritty performance earned them a crucial point against one of the tournament's strongest sides .

Group L Standings After Matchday 2

The combined results produced the following table :

What the Results Mean for the Knockout Stage

Panama eliminated. After opening with a 1–0 loss to Ghana and then losing to Croatia, Panama finished Matchday 2 with zero points and a -2 goal difference . Since only the top two teams in the group advance to the round of 32, Panama cannot reach the top two regardless of their final match result . They became the first team eliminated from Group L .

Croatia stays alive. Croatia's win gave them their first three points of the tournament. They now sit third in the group, just one point behind both England and Ghana . Their final group match against Ghana will be a direct winner-take-all contest for a likely knockout berth .

England and Ghana in the driver's seat. The 0–0 draw meant both teams moved to 4 points after two matches. England leads the group on goal difference (+2 vs. +1 for Ghana) heading into the final matchday . Both teams are well-positioned to advance, but neither has clinched a spot yet, and either could still be overtaken by a Croatia win on Matchday 3 .

Looking Ahead: Matchday 3 Scenarios

The final group matches will decide the knockout-stage qualifiers from Group L. England faces Panama in New York, while Ghana takes on Croatia in Philadelphia — both scheduled for the same time on Saturday, June 27 .

• England controls its fate: a win or draw against already-eliminated Panama would guarantee a top-two finish .
• Ghana needs at least a draw against Croatia to advance, or a win to potentially top the group .
• Croatia must beat Ghana and hope for a result from the England-Panama match to sneak into the top two .

Group L, which looked like a straightforward England-Ghana battle after Matchday 1, is now a genuine three-team race for two spots as the tournament heads toward its dramatic conclusion.