Luka Modric Achieves 200th Cap: A Milestone Victory for Croatia

On a cool, nervous night in Toronto, the story was supposed to be about survival. Croatia, stung by an opening defeat to England, simply could not afford another misstep.

Instead, the evening bent around Luka Modric.

The captain, 40 years old and still dictating the rhythm, strode into the history books as only the fourth male footballer to reach 200 senior international appearances, joining Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Bader al-Mutawa in one of the game’s most exclusive clubs. The occasion carried weight, but not ceremony. Not in his eyes.

“He is still influencing matches and to play for your country 200 times, that is a lot,” said manager Zlatko Dalic afterwards, his admiration undisguised. “We need to be very happy to have him in the team. Luka is very humble and this is why he is not for major celebrations. But I am very glad we marked this today in front of our fans.”

The tribute came from those around him. At full-time, his teammates pulled on black T-shirts emblazoned with “Infinite Legacy” and the number 200, a simple message for a player who has made the extraordinary feel routine for more than a decade.

But Modric’s landmark almost got lost in a tactical arm-wrestle.

Panama’s wall, Croatia’s problem

For 45 minutes, Croatia laboured. Panama arrived with their 5-4-1 drilled and disciplined, the lines tight, the spaces suffocated. Every Croatian touch in the final third felt crowded, every cross met by a red shirt. The favourites had the ball, but rarely the answers.

Panama, already fighting to stay alive in the tournament, carried their own threat. Jose Luis Rodriguez came closest to silencing the Croatian contingent in the stands, his first-half header deflecting off Dominik Livakovic and onto the underside of the bar. It was a reminder: this was no procession. One mistake and Croatia’s campaign could have been hanging by a thread.

Dalic had seen enough by the interval. The game demanded a focal point, a penalty-box presence. On came Ante Budimir.

The change flipped the contest.

Budimir delivers, Croatia breathe

Ten minutes into the second half, the pressure finally told. Marco Pasalic, sharper and more inventive after the restart, produced a deft backheel that sliced open Panama’s defensive shape and released Josip Stanisic down the right. Stanisic didn’t hesitate. A low, driven cross, skidding through the six-yard box, begged for a finish.

Budimir, Osasuna’s all-time top scorer, arrived at the back post with the calm of a man who has seen this picture a thousand times. One guided touch, side-footed and sure, and the deadlock broke.

Toronto erupted. The Croatian fans, who had spent the first half chewing on their nerves, found their voice in full. Flags flew, flares crackled, and Modric, arms raised, turned back towards the centre circle with the look of someone who has dragged his country out of tight corners before.

The goal changed everything. Panama, forced to chase, opened up. Croatia, suddenly lighter, began to play.

Pasalic could have killed the contest soon after. Slipped through one-on-one, he met Orlando Mosquera in full stretch. The Panama goalkeeper stood tall, blocked the first effort, and watched the rebound sail over the bar. A huge chance gone, and with it, any sense that this would be a comfortable stroll to the finish.

Panama bow out fighting

For Panama, this defeat sealed the end of their 2026 journey. No points from two games, no route to the last 32. Yet their performance in Toronto carried more pride than their record suggests.

Thomas Christiansen’s team never stopped pushing. They harried, pressed, and when Croatia retreated late on, they forced the issue with seven corners and a flurry of shots that kept Livakovic fully engaged. The Croatian goalkeeper answered with several sharp saves during a frantic spell, punching clear, smothering loose balls, and barking instructions as the clock ticked down.

“They played with that hunger, with that dedication, with that spirit. That’s what we wanted of the team. I’m super proud of them,” Christiansen said. “They [Croatia] put two shots on goal and scored one.”

The numbers told their own harsh truth. Panama created moments, but never the decisive one. Across the tournament, their inability to convert pressure into goals has been fatal. They now head into a final, dead-rubber meeting with England knowing their fate is sealed.

Group L blows wide open

Croatia’s narrow win landed like a jolt in Group L. Earlier in the day, England’s goalless draw with Ghana left both sides on four points. Croatia’s victory moved them to three, right back in the mix.

The maths is brutally simple now.

Beat Ghana in Philadelphia and Croatia are through to the last 32. Anything less, and they will be watching the other result with a knot in the stomach. England, facing already-eliminated Panama, need only avoid defeat to progress.

The pressure is real, but inside the Croatian camp, there was a sense of release. Pasalic captured it plainly.

“We were pretty aware of our quality and the situation that we were in,” he admitted. “What we didn’t do in the first half, we did in the second half. We’ve been relieved of the burden and now we can move on.”

Move on to Ghana. Move on to another decisive night with Modric still at the heart of it all.

Two hundred caps behind him, at least one more test in front of him. The question now is not how long he can keep going, but how far he can drag Croatia with him this time.