PHILADELPHIA — Historically when teams lose their first FIFA World Cup match, it’s rare you see them advance to the knockout stage. Croatia became the latest exception to add their name to that short list. Saturday’s 2-1 Group L victory over Ghana at Philadelphia Stadium boosted Zlatko Dailc’s into a second-place finish and into the knockout stage for the third-straight edition of the World Cup. Petar Sucic’s second-career international goal paired with Nikola Vlasic’s winning header seven minutes helped Croatia advance to the Round of 32 and mark the first time in its history that they’ve advanced past the group stage despite losing on Matchday 1. “Against England we played well in the first half but not so good in the second half,” Vlasic said postmatch. “We lost the match but we knew if we won the next two matches, we would be advancing. For us, we didn’t lose our head after the England match. We believed in ourselves, and I think today we kind of celebrated a little bit because we showed character and it’s good for us to advance.”Croatia dictated plenty of the first half against Ghana and eventually broke the deadlock after 31 minutes through’s Sucic long-range strike. The 22-year-old Inter Milan attacker dialed up a left-footed strike from 25+ yards out which snuck through the legs of Derrick Luckassen and into the bottom-left corner.It was an impactful moment for Sucic and a goal that ended Ghana’s 228-minute shutout streak in the competition. A beautiful hit from Petar Sučić for Croatia pic.twitter.com/dZz5SJDDBG— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 27, 2026“I like to score good goals,” Sucic told reporters postmatch. “We practice a lot on shooting from long range so today it worked on the goal. Even as a young player, you need to be ready to do your job.” Despite the Ghanians equalizing in the 73rd minute through Luckassen’s toe-poke finish on a set piece play, Croatia stuck together and found a winner through the experienced Vlasic.Vlasic got on the end of a Luka Modric corner kick to head home the go-ahead goal, celebrating his 11th tally in Croatia colors. While it looked like Vlasic was supposed to set a pick on the play, he benefitted from being in the right place at the right spot to score Croatia’s fifth goal of the World Cup. The 28-year-old may not have started against England or played against Panama, but got the starting nod on Saturday and rewarded Dalic for his trust in him. “Everybody is training good, waiting for their opportunity,” Vlasic said. “I played 12 minutes in the first match and not at all in the second match, but you always believe that you can make a difference when the coach calls your name. I am really happy that he trusted me in an important game and it’s a compliment really from him.” Longtime leader Luka Modric delivers his latest 90-minute shift in the victory for Croatia, showing his importance yet again with the game-winning assist. Not only did Modric show his quality on attacking chances, but also on the defensive end too, delivering five contributions, winning three duels, and making two tackles and two blocks each. Modric remains one of Croatia’s most important players on and off the field and his teammates surely know it. “Luka was unbelievable today, I swear it’s like he turned back the hands of time by 10 years,” Vlasic said. “It was one of his best performances in a Croatia shirt.”“I told him after the game, he was incredible today,” Sucic said about Modric. “He played like a 20-year-old. He ran a lot, went into every duel and was so good with the ball. He’s our leader, our best player and we are so happy that he can lead us. He can play as long as he wants and we are happy with him.” Croatia will next face Portugal in Toronto on July 2 in the Round of 32 knowing they will have a terrific fanbase supporting them. Most of the 68,324 fans in Philadelphia were supporting Dailc’s men on Saturday, just like they did in Dallas and Toronto earlier in the group stage.Regardless if Croatia’s run continues or ends in Canada, they expect plenty of support behind them.“We have amazing supporters who all love Croatia and will do everything for the country,” Sucic said. “We fight on the pitch and they fight in the stand, so together we can do big things. I say thanks to them for coming to support us because they are our biggest strength.”