With a series of sparks from Luka Modric, the Croatian team resolved a duel that was too close with Ghana by winning 2-1 and thus snatching the sub-leadership of Group L from the African squad and at the same time depriving the Africans of their undefeated march in the 2026 World Cup.

A duel with a lot of tactical calculation on the field of play, where Africans and Balkans took too long to break the deadlock and make the second half a more pleasant match, where the African team took advantage.

The match began with cautious approaches by both teams, although Ghana, with classification assured and the simple task of guaranteeing at least second place in the bracket, seemed more conservative, not minding playing with a 4-5-1 approach, closing access to its goal for the European elements.

The caution of the Ghanaians meant that Croatia had to reach their own danger zone after almost half an hour of play with a shot by Nikola Vlasic that made the African goal tremble, but it was the first warning that they could harm the cautious Africans.

Croatia's pressure brought favorable dividends when Petar Susic opened the scoring with a right-footed shot that beat African goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, who could do nothing to prevent his goal from falling. For the second half, Ghana advanced its lines and the duel improved a lot, because forced in search of an equalizer, it made Croatia react in the same way, although the team from the African continent was the one who created the dangers, such as Antoine Semenyo who wanted to stir up the hornet's nest, but, after taking a 30-meter run, his shot went wide by an inch.

It was only the tenth shot by the Ghanaians in the entire competition, showing that they have been more effective and even the pupils of Portuguese Carlos Queiroz managed to corner the Croatians in the first minutes. Croatia managed to reduce the decibels of the contest and keep it tied for another twenty minutes, until in the 73rd minute a free kick by Nuamuah found Derrick Luckasen in the six-yard box, who only had to adjust the interior to score. But the euphoria of the Ghanaian goal was about to be ruined when the Canadian whistler Drew Fisher went to the VAR to review the play and declare the goal that tied the actions and put the Croatians against the wall as valid.

Croatia sent some relief players onto the field such as Pasalic who came on for Kovacic who immediately forced a spectacular save from Asare, but in the next play Modric put a cross on a silver platter for Vlasic and he made it 2-1.