Croatia earned their first points in Group L by beating Panama 1-0 on June 23, 2026, at the World Cup, keeping their knockout stage hopes alive [1, 2, 3]. Ante Budimir scored the only goal in the 54th minute, securing the win for Croatia [1, 2]. Budimir said, "I am happy that I secured my first goal at the World Cup, it is important for us to start winning and get back to the team we were before" [2].
The match also marked a milestone for Croatia captain Luka Modric, who earned his 200th cap and joined Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Bader al-Mutawa as the only male players to reach that figure [1, 3]. Budimir praised Modric: "We are grateful to have a captain like Luka - a great player and a great person" [2].
Panama was eliminated after the loss, having already dropped two 1-0 defeats in Group L, including a late loss to Ghana prior to facing Croatia [1, 4, 3]. Panama coach Thomas Christiansen expressed pride in his side’s effort, saying, "I think we need to congratulate them and be proud of how Panama has played against a world power such as Croatia" and added hopes his players will land better club opportunities after the tournament showing [4].
Meanwhile, in Group K, Colombia secured qualification to the World Cup last 32 by defeating DR Congo 1-0 on the same day [5, 6]. Daniel Munoz scored the winner with a deflected shot in the 76th minute [5, 7]. Munoz was named Player of the Match and was described as an unexpected hero behind Colombia’s progress [7]. He credited the team effort, saying, "Just because I scored the goal doesn't mean I'm the star. We're all the stars. We all earned these three points. This is a family, and here, the star is Colombia" and acknowledged the collective work, "The effort of the entire team deserves recognition. Nothing is easy; nobody is getting anything for free" [7].
Colombia moved to six points from two matches and guaranteed advancement before their final group game, while DR Congo remained on one point and will need a result against Uzbekistan to keep their qualification hopes alive [5, 6].
