Croatia vs Ghana 2026 World Cup preview, team news, prediction and betting tips: A draw could suit both parties

Croatia need a win to be certain of qualifying, while Ghana need only a draw to guarantee their progress from Group L.

With England already on four points, only a victory gives Croatia full control of their fate.

A draw almost certainly sees Ghana through to the knockout stages for only the second time in their World Cup history, after their famous quarter-final run in 2010.

Both Croatia and Ghana will be looking to put themselves in a position to top Group L should England slip up against Panama.

Croatia bounced back from a 4-2 loss to England in their opening game with a 1-0 win over Panama in their second, with Ante Budimir scoring the only goal of the game.

The result eliminated the group's basement side and left the Chequered Ones' fate in their own hands when it comes to knockout progression.

Victory on Saturday will confirm a second-placed finish at the very worst and could even take them top if England shockingly drop points against Panama.

Still, they arrive in the more precarious position, sitting one point behind Ghana ahead of the group finale. 

Three points are essential: a draw could eliminate them if results elsewhere go against them, so Croatia will approach this fixture with genuine attacking intent rather than the pragmatism they have shown in previous tournament campaigns.

Ghana head into the fixture with a composure that belies their underdog status in this group. 

Back-to-back clean sheets at this tournament, including a goalless draw against England, underline how well-organised Queiroz has made them defensively.

A draw in Philadelphia advances them, and Queiroz, one of the most experienced tacticians in world football, will be fully aware of that arithmetic. 

Failure to take all three points against England means that Ghana boast just one win from their last six matches to boot, although a third stalemate from four is all they need from Croatia.

Expect Ghana to defend deep and invite Croatia to break them down, testing the creativity of an aging but technically gifted Croatian midfield.

This will be the first-ever meeting between Croatia and Ghana.

Croatia are unbeaten in four previous World Cup meetings with African sides (W3, D1), and they have also lost just one of their last eight group-stage games at the tournament (W5, D2).

*Odds sourced from SportyBet and are correct at the time of publishing. Always gamble responsibly.

Both sides know that a win could still see them top the group, so there's plenty of motivation in both camps.

However, with the knowledge that defeat could also be hugely detrimental to either country, the fear of losing is likely to outweigh the desire to win in this one. 

Croatia are favourites to take the points, with more than 60 places between these nations in the world rankings, but as both sides put the majority of their focus on shutting out the opposition, we don't think global reputation is going to be too influential here.

So with that being said, we’re predicting for Croatia vs Ghana to end level, with both countries reaching the Round of 32 as a result.

Ghana have only managed to score once in their opening two games at the 2026 World Cup, with a stoppage-time winner saving them from a disappointing draw against Panama.

And with Carlos Quieroz's side not conceding a single goal so far, their defensive solidity is clear for all to see. 

As for Croatia, they've really tightened up after conceding four to England in the opener, keeping a clean sheet against Panama, so we think another careful approach might be on show in this one.

With that in mind, we're backing defences to come out on top, with under 2.5 goals being scored in the match.

There is enough quality on both sides to get through the other’s defence. 

Croatia scored five goals in their last three matches, averaging 1.66 goals per game. However, they’ve also shipped 10 goals across their recent five outings, which should offer hope to the Black Stars. 

Ghana failed to score against England, and they haven’t been prolific in front of goal. They’ve scored three goals in their last five games, a clear indication of their struggles in the final third. 

However, they could get joy from the Croatian defence, especially with the likes of Jordan Ayew and Antoine Semenyo leading the charge. 

Three of Croatia’s last five matches have seen both teams score, which will encourage the African nation further. 

Furthermore, both of Ghana’s World Cup matches produced fewer than three goals, while Croatia's two fixtures went each way. 

As a result, we are likely to see goals at both ends, but it could be limited to just a couple.

Croatia once again boast a fully-fit squad for matchday three, but Dalic has a critical selection dilemma to solve up front after Budimir's winner off the bench against Panama, where he replaced Petar Musa at half time.

Musa and Josko Gvardiol were both taken off during the break last time out, but there is little chance of the latter losing his spot in the starting XI.

While unable to replicate his cracking strike against England, Martin Baturina completed six dribbles and won seven fouls against Panama, the first player to record those totals in a World Cup game since Diego Maradona in 1982.

As far as Ghana are concerned, Queiroz was forced into a change in between the sticks against England, as Lawrence Ati Zigi was declared unfit owing to the muscle injury he picked up against Panama first up.

In his place, Benjamin Asare played a starring role on Wednesday with three crucial saves, and the Hearts of Oak shot-stopper should have done enough to hold his spot regardless of Ati Zigi's condition.

Livakovic; Stanisic, Pongracic, Sutalo, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Modric; Baturina, Pasalic, Perisic; Budimir

Asare; Senaya, Adjetey, Opoku, Mensah; Yirenkyi, Partey, Sibo; Williams, Ayew, Semenyo

Ghana can employ the same approach they used to terrific effect against England, although they may come under more pressure against a Croatia team who must go gung-ho for the maximum.

The game is won or lost in the transition, but given the circumstances, we’re predicting a draw that sees both teams benefit.

Correct score prediction: Croatia 1-1 Ghana