Panama — Croatia. On the eve

.Croatia can secure a place in the top three of the group with a win over Panama in the 2026 World Cup match. After losing to England (2-4), the Croats are in fourth place with zero points as Panama move ahead of them on goal difference after losing to Ghana (0-1). WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 02:00 ▪️ TORONTO STADIUM, CANADA ▪️ HEAD REFEREE — PIERRE ACHO (GABON) ▪️ LIVE ON MEGOGO Panama deserved credit for keeping Ghana's attacking players at bay for most of the match, but unfortunately made the mistake of trying to press high in the opposition half, allowing the opposition to go into the penalty area and score the winner five minutes into second-half stoppage time. It's safe to say that Thomas Christiansen's side, ranked 34th in FIFA, outplayed their opposition for most of the match, given that they didn't have a single shot on target in the first half, while the winners' only attempt on goal, other than a goal, was a header after a set piece just after the break. Although the eight third-placed teams will advance to the playoffs, Los Canaleros will not be able to finish third if they lose, because if the teams are tied on points, the first criterion to determine the tiebreaker will be their head-to-head statistics. The only way for Panama to stay in the tournament if they lose is if England lose to Ghana, but for that they will also have to beat the Three Lions in the third round of the group stage. Christiansen is still aiming to make history by securing his team's first ever World Cup point. Before that, they only participated in such tournaments in 2018, where they lost all three matches - to Belgium, England and Tunisia. A win over the Croatians would be Panama's third in nine games, but a loss would be their fourth in that stretch and extend their streak to nine games. Croatia shouldn't be overly criticized for losing to England, given that they were up against some of the best in the tournament, but the way they struggled was a real concern. Under aggressive pressing, the "cage" had a hard time breaking out of their own half of the field, and the only real chance after the break came from a set piece in the 95th minute. Head coach Zlatko Dalic will look to take positives from his side's performance in the first 45 minutes and is confident his experienced squad will have enough strength to reach the play-offs. However, Croatia have suffered three defeats in their last four matches, although the losses to England, Belgium and Brazil are nothing terrible. Dalic's side avoided relegation at the group stage of the World Cup in 2018 and 2022, reaching the final and semi-finals in those years respectively. Six points from two matches guarantee a top two, three a top three, and four can be enough for a top two, although the fate of places may depend on the difference in goals scored and conceded. Croatia have never faced Panama before - they last played against the CONCACAF nation when they beat Canada (4-1) in Qatar 2022 - but despite the unfamiliarity of the opposition, they will still be considered favourites. 👑 betking offers to bet on the victory of Croatia with a coefficient of 1.54, and the probable success of Panama is estimated at 7.00. Odds of 4.00 are given for a draw in regular time. WC2000 — 2000₴ free bet to all new and existing players for betting on the World Cup 2026 📋 GUIDELINES PANAMA: Mosquera - Andrade, Cordoba, Ramos - Blackman, Barcenas, Harvey, Murillo - Rodriguez, Diaz, Waterman. CROATIA: Livakovic - Guardiol, Šutalo, Pongracic - Perisic, Modric, Kovacic, Stanisic - Baturina, Suchic - Musa. 📊 CURRENT FORM forecast 1:3 Help about betking betking is a licensed bookmaker that is part of the King Group and operates in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine. betking offers a wide range of services in the field of sports betting and online entertainment, focusing on innovation, transparency and the principles of responsible gaming. betking actively contributes to the development of sports in Ukraine: it supports professional teams, implements partnership projects and implements initiatives aimed at fans and the sports community. "Slots UA" LLC: Licenses for the organization and conduct of casino gambling activities on the Internet dated 25.03.2026 (Decision of DAU PlayCity No. 82-Р dated 25.03.2026) and 15.09.2023 (Decision of KRAIL No. 245 dated 31.08.2023), as well as bookmaking activities on the Internet from 05.12.2024 (Decision