Croatia vs Panama prediction: Will Modric and co. start firing on all cylinders?

Luka Modric of Croatia applauds the supporters at full-time following the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L match between England and Croatia at Dallas Stadium.
Luka Modric is looking to lead Croatia to a win (Image credit: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)

Croatia and Panama are both looking to bounce back from losses in their first games.

Croatia were beaten 4-2 by England in the first game, while Panama were suckerpunched by Ghana – so with third-place slots getting into the next round, both sides will know a win might just go a long way to getting them into the knockouts.

Which one will this one go?

Play our FREE match predictor and win £1k

Croatia vs Panama odds from BOYLE SPORTS

  • Croatia WIN - 2/5
  • Draw - 10/3
  • Panama WIN - 6/1

Croatia vs Panama prediction

Fans of Ghana celebrate winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup First Stage Group L match between Ghana and Panama at Toronto Stadium (BMO Field) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Ghana beat Panama last time out (Image credit: Getty Images)

Let's make no mistake about it: Panama are vastly improved from their first World Cup eight years ago and won't be pushovers.

They put in a resilient performance against the Ghanaians, and with Croatia likely having to rely on transitional moments against the English, they might have to rethink how they approach a totally different game.

The midfield battle is one that we can probably see coming, however: expect Modric, now in his 40s, to control proceedings, with Croatia looking for openings and Panama looking to break.

As the Kockasti showed in Matchday 1, they do have quality in attacking areas, with ingenuity to find space: it would be a shock if they don't win this one.

Croatia Euro 2024 squad Zlatko Dalic

Zlatko Dalic, manager of Croatia (Image credit: Getty Images)

Panama may have to do their very best impression of Ghana earlier on tonight in order to hang on for a draw against one of the stronger teams in this competition – but just as in their first match, we predict that they won't be able to hang on forever.

Score prediction: Croatia 2-0 Panama

How to watch Croatia vs Panama

You can watch Croatia vs Panama in Group L of World Cup 2026 for free.

The match will be broadcast live on BBC One in the UK, FOX in the United States and SBS in Australia.

What's your England vs Ghana prediction? Let us know below...

Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.