Croatia emerged victorious against Czechia, winning 2-1 after Luka Modrić took the lead, followed by a pivotal late header from Marco Pašalić that secured the win in a tense ending.
Modrić scored in the 47th minute, his shot taking a deflection after receiving a pass from Igor Matanović. Czechia responded quickly, equalizing in the 54th minute when Adam Karabec found the net from a pass delivered by Adam Hložek.
Croatia maintained control of the game and eventually took the lead again in the 77th minute. Ivan Perišić sent in a threatening cross, and Marco Pašalić headed it in to put Croatia ahead once more.
Czechia aimed to equalize once more through Matej Radosta in the 79th minute, but the VAR intervention deemed the goal offside. The hosts pressed for another goal until the end, but Croatia managed to withstand the pressure.
This success follows Portugal’s narrow 2-1 victory over Croatia in the 2026 World Cup, a match that advanced Portugal to face Spain in the round of 32. Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty and a stoppage-time goal from Gonçalo Ramos sealed the deal in that encounter.
Player Ratings
| Croatia Player | Rating | Czechia Player | Rating |
| Luka Modrić | 7.2 | Robin Hranáč | 6.7 |
| Marco Pašalić | 7.0 | Adam Karabec | 6.6 |
| Ivan Perišić | 6.8 | Štěpán Chaloupek | 6.3 |
| Igor Matanović | 6.3 | Lukáš Horníček | 6.1 |
| Ante Budimir | 6.1 | Adam Hložek | 5.6 |
| Josip Mišić | 6.1 | Matej Radosta | 5.9 |
| Mateo Kovačić | 6.1 | Václav Sejk | 5.1 |
| Joško Gvardiol | 6.0 | Pavel Šulc | 5.2 |
| Petar Sučić | 5.9 | Martin Subert | 5.2 |
| Franjo Ivanović | 5.9 | Alex Král | 4.9 |
| Nikola Vlašić | 5.7 | Michal Sadílek | 4.7 |
Match Statistics
| Statistic | Czechia | Croatia |
| Possession | 44% | 56% |
| Shots on Target | 5 | 2 |
| Shots Off Target | 6 | 1 |
| Blocked Shots | 5 | 1 |
| Corners | 1 | 6 |
| Offsides | 6 | 0 |
| Fouls | 6 | 9 |
| Yellow Cards | 2 | 1 |
| Throw-ins | 25 | 24 |
| Saves | 3 | 1 |
The match concluded with Croatia benefiting from their sharper finishing, where the influence of Modrić and Pašalić’s critical header were key factors in the closely fought match.
