Player ratings Croatia vs Ghana — Vlašić scores winner as Croatia beat Ghana 2-1 to reach FIFA World Cup knockout

Croatia earned a place in the World Cup knockout round thanks to goals from Nikola Vlašić and Luka Sučić, beating Ghana 2-1 on Saturday.

Ghana had already reached the Round of 32 for the first time since 2010.

Vlašić headed in Luka Modrić’s corner in the 83rd minute to score the winner and put Croatia back into contention after finishing third in 2022. The win means Croatia finished second behind England in Group L, with Ghana third.

Sučić scored for Croatia in the 31st minute with an absolute rocket from outside the penalty area for his second international goal of his career.

Derrick Luckassen scored the equalizer which – after a short review – sent thousands of fans in yellow into a frenzy. Luckassen, the brother of Dutchman Brian Brobbey, found the bottom right corner in the 73rd minute to make it 1-1.

Ghanaian goalkeeper Benjamin Asare briefly kept the game level after a diving stop with the top of his hand that sent the ball over the net, but failed to stop Vlašić just a minute later.

Vlašić wagged his tongue and ran festively towards his teammates with his arms outstretched.

Sučić helped Croatia take a 1–0 lead at half-time in a match where a pair of near misses prevented the country from building a more comfortable lead. Nikola Vlašić tapped one of the posts earlier in the half and Modric’s cross from a free kick in the penalty area was headed over the crossbar by Marin Pongračić.

Ghana looked on the verge of tying the game late in the half when Antoine Semenyo beat his man and fired a shot that skimmed over the Kentucky bluegrass and went just wide of the left post.

Semenyo was one of the few prominent strikers in this tournament to go goalless in the first three games. He finished third in the Premier League last season with 17 goals and was one of Manchester City’s best players after they bought him from Bournemouth, but could not join the world rankings against Panama, England and even Croatia’s backline.

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland dazzled at the World Cup, where every match seemed like a showcase for the tournament’s top stars.

The good news for Semenyo is that he has at least one more chance to break through for Ghana.

Published on June 28, 2026