Budimir sinks Panama as Croatia stay alive on Modrić's 200th-cap night

A second-half Ante Budimir goal gave Croatia a 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto, keeping their World Cup alive and eliminating Panama, on the night captain Luka Modrić won his 200th cap and Dominik Livaković starred with a stunning double-save.

Croatia kept their World Cup alive and gave Luka Modrić a night to remember. A second-half Ante Budimir goal settled a tight contest 1-0 in Toronto, sending Panama out and keeping Croatia in the race, on the very evening their captain won his 200th cap for his country.

The first half was a cagey, cautious affair. Croatia had fifty-eight percent of the ball but could not find a way through a well-drilled Panama, and at the break Zlatko Dalić acted, sending on Budimir and Andrej Kramarić to change the picture.

The switch worked almost at once. On fifty-four minutes Josip Stanišić whipped in a precise cross from the right and Budimir was there to turn it home, rewarding his manager's decision within ten minutes of coming on.

Panama threw men forward in search of a leveller and ran into Dominik Livaković at his best. The goalkeeper made three crucial saves, the pick of them a stunning double-stop to deny Michael Murillo, and Croatia's clean sheet held.

Through it all, Luka Modrić pulled the strings as he has for two decades. At 40, this was his 200th appearance for Croatia, a milestone in a career that has seen everything, and the Toronto crowd rose as one when he was withdrawn to a standing ovation on eighty-one minutes.

It was not pretty, and Panama gave everything. They edged the shot count and forced Livaković into his heroics, but Croatia carried the cutting edge that mattered, and the quality off the bench to find it.

The win revives Croatia, who climb to three points in Group L after their opening defeat to England, with a place in the last 32 still in their hands when they meet Ghana. For Panama it is the end of the road, eliminated after a second straight loss that followed their opening defeat to Ghana.

For Kenya, this was a night to salute a great. Modrić has been box office in living rooms across Nairobi since 2018, the little maestro who refuses to age, and two hundred caps is the kind of number that commands respect anywhere football is loved. Heshima kwa Modrić, babu wa kati ya uwanja: respect to Modrić, the grandfather in the middle of the park. Our Europe round-one verdict said Croatia still had the experience to dig out results, and they just dug out a big one.