Vlasic strike sends Croatia through

Croatia secured their place in the World Cup last‑32 with a hard‑fought 2–1 win over Ghana, clinching second spot in Group L. Petar Sucic opened the scoring with a skidding long‑range effort that wrong‑footed goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, giving Croatia control after a cautious opening half.

Ghana, already qualified thanks to earlier results, responded with intensity after the break. Abdul Fatawu injected pace from the bench, and Derrick Luckassen eventually levelled with a neat left‑footed finish from a set‑piece, confirmed after a lengthy VAR delay. The equaliser briefly shifted momentum, but Croatia regained their edge. Asare produced a superb save to deny Mario Pasalic, yet from the resulting corner Nikola Vlasic rose unmarked to head home Luka Modric’s delivery in the 82nd minute.

The victory sets up a knockout clash in Toronto against Portugal, while Ghana advance despite suffering their first defeat of the tournament.