Panama vs Croatia Prediction, Betting Pick, Latest World Cup Odds for Tuesday, June 23rd
Panama and Croatia prepare for a crucial Group L clash in the FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, 23rd June 2026. Read our full Panama vs. Croatia prediction, team news, and lineups for this World Cup second match.
OC Staff - June 23, 2026, 3:30 PM EDT
3 Minute ReadPanama vs Croatia Prediction: Can Luka Modric, Croatia Bounce Back in Second World Cup Match?
Panama and Croatia prepare for a crucial Group L clash in the FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, June 23rd at 7 PM ET. Following disappointing defeats in their respective opening fixtures, both nations find themselves sitting at the bottom of the group standings, with the Central Americans in third and the European side in fourth. With their tournament survival hanging in the balance, this encounter is a must-win for both teams.
Panama vs Croatia Recent Results
The hosts enter this fixture on the back of a narrow 1-0 defeat to Ghana in their opening match. Looking at their last six matches across all competitions, Los Canaleros have struggled for consistency. While they picked up confidence-boosting friendly wins against South Africa (2-1) and the Dominican Republic (4-2), they were also soundly beaten 6-2 by Brazil and held to draws by Bosnia and Herzegovina (1-1) and South Africa (1-1).
The visitors, meanwhile, suffered a bruising 4-2 defeat at the hands of England in their opener, leaving them bottom of the group on goal difference. The Blazers' recent form has been equally erratic. In their last six outings, they have secured wins over Slovenia (2-1), Colombia (2-1), and Montenegro (3-2), but have suffered defeats against Belgium (2-0), Brazil (3-1), and now England.
Panama vs Croatia Head to Head
This crucial World Cup encounter will be the very first time these two nations have faced each other in recent history. With no head-to-head record to draw upon, both coaching staffs will have to rely purely on scouting reports and their opponents' opening-round performances to gain a tactical edge.
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Panama vs. Croatia Odds
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Panama vs. Croatia Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026
- Time: 7:00 PM ET
- Where: BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
- How to Watch: FOX, Telemundo, FOX One
Panama vs Croatia Probable Lineups
Panama (3-4-3): Mosquera; Andrade, Córdoba, Ramos; Blackman, Bárcenas, Harvey, Murillo; Rodríguez, Waterman, Díaz
Croatia (3-4-2-1): Livakovic; Gvardiol, Sutalo, Pongracic; Perisic, Modric, Kovacic, Stanisic; Sucic, Baturina; Musa
Panama vs Croatia Team News
The hosts have a fully fit squad to choose from. Given their lack of goal threat in the opener, Danish boss Thomas Christiansen is tipped to hand a start to Ismael Díaz, who is the squad's top scorer, to inject some much-needed attacking impetus. Otherwise, Christiansen is expected to keep faith with the core of the side that competed well against Ghana.
For the visitors, there are also no reported injuries. However, tactical changes are expected following their defensive struggles against England. The experienced Mateo Kovacic is set to return to the starting XI to partner Luka Modric in midfield. In defense, Marin Pongracic is pushing to replace young defender Luka Vuskovic in the backline.
Prediction: Panama 1-2 Croatia
With both teams desperate for points, this promises to be a tense affair. Panama showed decent ball retention in their opening match, averaging 62% possession and an impressive 86.28% pass accuracy. However, they lack cutting edge in the final third. Croatia, despite having less possession (48.27%) in their opener, possess far superior tournament pedigree and individual quality, led by the legendary Luka Modric.
The Central Americans have now lost all four of their historical World Cup matches, conceding 12 goals in the process. Croatia’s experience of reaching the latter stages of the last two World Cups should prove decisive here. Expect the European side to edge a close contest 2-1 to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Best Bet: Over 2.5 Goals (-120) Check out the best odds on Caesars Sportsbook
Given that both sides must play for a win to keep their World Cup dreams alive, we can expect an open and attacking game. Croatia's defense looked highly vulnerable in their 4-2 defeat to England, while Panama's recent history shows they are capable of both scoring and conceding in bunches—notably conceding six against Brazil and scoring four against the Dominican Republic recently. Therefore, backing Over 2.5 Goals looks like a strong betting angle.
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