Panama vs Croatia prediction, tips and odds | World Cup 2026

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Panama and Croatia meet at BMO Field in Toronto on Wednesday morning – midnight BST – knowing that a second consecutive defeat in Group L would leave both sides needing a minor miracle to reach the round of 32.

Croatia carry the heavier burden of expectation: Zlatko Dalic’s side were runners-up at the 2018 World Cup and third-place finishers in Qatar in 2022, yet a 4-2 opening loss to England has created a position of genuine urgency, with Thomas Christiansen’s Panama equally desperate to register their first goal and first points of this World Cup.

Preview: Panama vs Croatia

Panama were not embarrassed by Ghana in their Matchday 1 defeat – Christiansen’s side registered 11 shots against the Black Stars, more than almost any other losing side across the opening round of matches – but stoppage-time cost them what could have been a creditable draw.

Their recent scoring record also demands some respect: nine goals across their last five fixtures, including four in a single outing against the Dominican Republic and two in a win over South Africa.

The 3-4-3 that Christiansen favours gives Panama balance through the wing-back positions, with Amir Murillo bringing his Besiktas experience to the right flank and Andres Andrade providing an outlet on the left – for those exploring the football betting guide on TNT Sports, Panama’s ability to stretch teams laterally is a market worth monitoring.

Cecilio Waterman, 15 goals from 56 international appearances, leads Panama’s front three alongside Jose Luis Rodriguez and Yoel Barcenas, and all three will need to make Croatia’s full-backs work from the first whistle.

Panama have conceded in every one of their last five fixtures – 11 goals across that run – which sets up a potentially difficult examination against Croatia’s midfield quality, even if Dalic’s side have been far from defensively sound themselves.

Croatia’s opening-night performance against England illustrated the twin nature of Dalic’s problem: the midfield of Modric and Kovacic has the quality to pull any opponent apart, but the back line gave away goals in ways that a side of their experience should not.

Luka Modric, making his 200th international appearance, brings a top-level passing range and tempo-setting ability, and his presence alone changes how opponents approach the midfield duel – Panama will need to press him aggressively to disrupt Croatia’s build-up.

Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol at left-back is one of the strongest defenders at the tournament, and his ability to push forward and recover represents a major challenge that Panama’s right side will have to manage throughout.

Croatia have conceded 11 goals across their last five games – identical to Panama’s total – which means neither side can claim defensive solidity as a genuine platform; William Hill price Croatia at 1.57 to win despite those concerns, and you can find their full World Cup 2026 coverage in our William Hill sportsbook review.

Ivan Perisic, 38 goals from 155 international appearances, provides a direct threat on the left flank that Panama’s right wing-back will find difficult to contain over the full 90 minutes, and Croatia’s attacking depth from the bench – including Andrej Kramaric, who has scored 36 times in 117 international appearances – means Dalic can afford to rotate if the game opens up.

Team news: Panama vs Croatia

Panama

Adalberto Carrasquilla’s absence against Ghana was keenly felt – the UNAM midfielder with 73 caps and three international goals, is Panama’s primary playmaker and the one most responsible for dictating the tempo of their possession phases.

Christiansen was hopeful that his star in the centre of the park could have recovered in time for this clash after making significant progress in recent days, but the manager has ruled him out after a setback, and he will be eyeing a return for Panama’s final group game.

The rest of the squad is available and the boss is expected to retain the same 3-4-3 shape, with Waterman leading the line and Carlos Harvey – the Minnesota United man – operating alongside Cristian Martinez in central midfield.

Alberto Quintero, at 38 Panama’s most experienced outfield player with 141 caps, offers an experienced option from the bench if Christiansen needs craft and composure to manage a result late in the game.

Croatia

Dalic has a full complement available and has indicated he will adjust his formation and personnel from the England match, which saw his initial team selection draw criticism.

The 4-3-3 that suits Croatia best – built around the Modric-Kovacic axis in midfield – is expected to be reinstated, with Petar Sucic providing energy and forward runs from the right-centre midfield position.

Martin Baturina, the Como forward, keeps his place on the right side of attack after impressing in the Croatia setup, with Petar Musa leading the line ahead of Kramaric, who remains one of the most dangerous substitutes at the tournament.

Duje Caleta-Car and Josip Sutalo are set to form the central defensive pairing, with Gvardiol at left-back and Josip Stanisic at right-back completing a back four that will need to be more organised against Panama than it was against England’s pace and movement.

Panama vs Croatia injuries and predicted XIs

Predicted XI (3-4-3): O Mosquera; C Blackman, J Cordoba, J Ramos; A Andrade, C Harvey, C Martinez, A Murillo; J Rodriguez, C Waterman, Y Barcenas

Predicted XI (4-3-3): D Livakovic; J Gvardiol, D Caleta-Car, J Sutalo, J Stanisic; M Kovacic, L Modric, P Sucic; I Perisic, P Musa, M Baturina

Head-to-head: Panama vs Croatia

Panama and Croatia have no competitive history to draw upon, and this encounter in Toronto will be the first time the two nations have met in international football at any level.

Despite the lack of head-to-head games to draw comparisons from, Croatia come into this clash as the clear favourites, and anything other than a victory would be seen as a disappointing result.

Croatia’s World Cup credentials are considerably stronger: after reaching the 2018 final in Russia, where they lost to France, Dalic’s side then claimed third place in Qatar in 2022 – a level of sustained achievement that few nations have matched across back-to-back tournaments.

Panama are at only their second World Cup, having exited at the group stage on their debut in Russia in 2018, and the nation are hoping to avoid defeat in the finals for the first time in their history.

Our Panama vs Croatia prediction and tips