The Croatia national football team secured its spot in the knockout phase of the 2026 World Cup after a dramatic 2:1 win over Ghana in Philadelphia.

How did they get to the knockout phase?

The winning goal was scored by Nikola Vlašić in the 83rd minute with a header, after Petar Sučić had previously given Croatia the lead with a great long-range shot in the 31st minute, and Derrick Luckassena had equalized in the 73rd minute.

What's next?

With their spot in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, Croatia has scheduled one of the most attractive matches of the tournament – a match against Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo. Although Croatia has improved its form with wins against Panama and Ghana, statistics warn that they will face an opponent on Friday, July 3, against whom they traditionally have a very hard time getting a positive result.

What is the history of their head-to-head matches?

A look at the archive of head-to-head matches reveals a long and mostly frustrating history for the Croatian national team. In ten official and friendly matches, Croatia has recorded seven defeats and two draws, while achieving their only win relatively recently, on June 8, 2024, in a friendly match when Croatia won 2:1. The last match between Croatia and Portugal ended in a 2:1 defeat for Croatia on July 2, 2026. Now Croatia has a tough task ahead, as they face a match against the Czech Republic on September 26, 2026, which will decide the further course of the competition. Croatia's recent form has been 2W-0D-3L, with losses in their last two matches.