Modric's corner kick, which Nikola Vlasic headed in to seal the 2-1 victory, made the Croatia captain the oldest player to assist a World Cup goal at 40 years and 291 days old, a record dating back to 1966. This win secured Croatia's second-place finish in Group L, setting up a round of 16 clash against the Group K runners-up. Ghana, having already qualified before the match, finished third in the group and will face the Group K winners in the round of 16.

Modric celebrates after Croatia's 2-1 victory over Ghana in their final Group L match at the 2026 World Cup in Philadelphia, US on 27/6. Photo: AP

Modric celebrates after Croatia's 2-1 victory over Ghana in their final Group L match at the 2026 World Cup in Philadelphia, US on 27/6. Photo: AP

Despite having already qualified, Ghana played competitively, even as Croatia needed at least one point to advance. After more than 30 minutes of contention, Croatia broke the deadlock in the 31st minute. Mateo Kovacic passed centrally to Petar Sucic, who unleashed a low shot from over 25 meters out. The ball found its way through a wall of defenders and into the bottom left corner, leaving goalkeeper Benjamin Asare with no chance.

Croatia's opening goal gave them an advantage, but Ghana proved resilient. In the 73rd minute, from an Ernest Nuamah free-kick on the right wing, Derrick Luckassen tapped the ball in from close range to level the score against Croatia. The referee spent four minutes reviewing the goal with VAR before confirming the 1-1 equalizer, ruling that the Ghana defender was not offside.

Ghana's celebration lasted just 10 minutes. In the 83rd minute, Luka Modric delivered a corner kick from the right flank, and Nikola Vlasic rose to head the ball. It struck the inside of the left post before going into the net, sealing a 2-1 victory for Croatia.

Beyond his record-breaking assist, Modric continued to demonstrate his central role in Croatia's play. He touched the ball 102 times, the most in the match, completing 82 of 89 passes with a 92% accuracy rate. He created four chances and delivered three accurate crosses. Defensively, the veteran midfielder also made five interventions, including two tackles, two interceptions, and one clearance.

This match also marked Modric's 22nd World Cup appearance, coming just days after he reached 200 caps for the Croatia national team.

In the same Group L, England secured the top spot after defeating Panama 2-0 in a concurrent match. Thomas Tuchel's team will face Senegal in the round of 16.

According to Opta statistics, Croatia generated only 0.42 expected goals (xG) but scored two goals, while Ghana achieved 0.74 xG and scored just one. Luckassen's equalizer was also the 200th goal of the 2026 World Cup.

Before kickoff, Croatia's starting lineup had an average age of 30 years and 94 days, the second oldest in the team's World Cup history. Despite this, coach Zlatko Dalic's experienced squad overcame the pressure to advance.

Hoang An