Croatia vs Ghana FIFA World Cup 2026 Highlights: Key Moments & Match Summary

Nikola Vlasic's late header helped Croatia beat Ghana in Philadelphia and secure a place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32.

Croatia only needed a draw to guarantee qualification, but Vlasic's goal seven minutes from full-time earned all three points. The win saw Zlatko Dalic's side finish second in Group L behind England, who defeated Panama in the other group match.

Earlier, Petar Sucic had given Croatia the lead with a superb first-half strike before Ghana equalised in the 73rd minute through Derrick Luckassen. However, Ghana could not hold on, and despite the defeat, they still reached the Round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.

In this article, we will take a look at the highlights of the latest clash between Croatia vs Ghana. Let’s first take a quick overview of the match summary below.

Croatia vs Ghana FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Summary

Croatia started the game on a strong note, as they looked a more dangerous side in the first half and almost went ahead after 17 minutes. Nikola Vlasic tried his luck from long range, but his effort went just wide of Benjamin Asare's post.

Their pressure finally paid off when Petar Sucic opened the scoring. The Inter Milan midfielder collected a pass from Mateo Kovacic before firing a low shot through Derrick Luckassen's legs and into the bottom corner.

Ghana had a chance before the break when Antoine Semenyo sent a low effort just wide of the far post. However, Carlos Queiroz's side once again failed to register a shot on target in the first half.

The Black Stars looked much better after the break following the introduction of Abdul Fatawu. The Leicester City winger nearly made an immediate impact, but his powerful shot flew just over the crossbar. Ghana's improved second-half display paid off when Derrick Luckassen headed home Ernest Nuamah's delivery. The goal was confirmed after a VAR review that lasted almost four minutes.

The review checked whether Kwasi Sibo, who was in an offside position, had interfered with play. Referee Drew Fischer eventually awarded the goal after deciding that Sibo had not affected the move.

Ghana looked the stronger side heading into the final 10 minutes, but Benjamin Asare first produced an excellent one-handed save to deny Mario Pasalic. Moments later, Nikola Vlasic headed in Luka Modric's corner to restore Croatia's lead and seal their second Group L victory.

Croatia vs Ghana FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Result

• Final Result: Croatia 2-1 Ghana

Croatia vs Ghana FIFA World Cup 2026: Goals and Key Moments

• Petar Sucić opened the scoring for Croatia with a superb long-range strike.
• Derrick Luckassen equalised for Ghana from Ernest Nuamah's free-kick after a lengthy VAR review.
• Nikola Vlasic scored the winner with a header from Luka Modric's corner.
• Croatia secured a 2-1 victory to book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32.

Watch Highlights on tapmad

The latest clash between Croatia vs Ghana was streamed live on tapmad. It was a fascinating contest in which Croatia secured victory with a late strike from Nikola Vlasic. If you missed the live action of this game, head over to the tapmad’s highlights section now to watch all the key moments of the match in HD quality.