Croatia will aim to secure their first win of the 2026 World Cup when they take on Panama in Toronto on Tuesday night. The match marks a personal milestone for veteran midfielder Luka Modric, who is set to earn his 200th international cap.
Modric, 40, is expected to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation alongside Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic. He will become only the fourth player in history to reach 200 caps for his country, following Cristiano Ronaldo, Bader Al-Mutawa and Lionel Messi.
Team-mates have paid tribute to the achievement. Midfielder Petar Sucic said it was difficult to reach and stay at this level, calling Modric special. Striker Andrej Kramaric described the number as truly incredible and thanked the captain.
Panama, who have no injury concerns, will field the same side that faced Ghana in their opening game. Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic is expected to name Livakovic in goal with Josko Gvardiol and Ivan Perisic also in the line-up.
The expanded tournament format keeps Croatia's hopes alive despite their opening defeat to England. Panama will look to spoil the occasion after conceding a late goal in their 1-0 loss to Ghana.
