Croatia faces Ghana in a critical Group L matchweek 3 fixture at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday, June 27, 2026, aiming to clinch a spot in the round of 32 knockout stage.
Ghana enters the final group day in second place with four points, while Croatia sits third with three points, meaning Croatia requires a victory to guarantee advancement.
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Tactical Changes for Both Sides
Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic benched Manchester City star Josko Gvardiol, Marco Pasalic, and Petar Musa, opting instead for Nikola Vlasic, Petar Sucic, and Panama-game goalscorer Ante Budimir.
Ghana also implemented three changes following their scoreless draw against England, bringing in Derrick Luckassen, Elisha Owusu, and Kamaldeen Sulemana, while Nathan Opoku, Inaki Williams, and Caleb Yirenkyi start on the bench.
Protests Outside the Stadium
Outside the stadium, immigration enforcement policies drew public demonstrations from local activist groups who gathered before kickoff to express their opinions regarding visiting foreign fans and national policy.
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"We wanted to welcome people from other countries, and let them know we support our immigrants in our own country, and we oppose ICE," said Paula Paul, a protester from Germantown, Pennsylvania.
Activists noted that incoming international fans provided generally positive responses to the demonstration as they entered the Philadelphia sports complex amid steady rain showers and temperatures in the low 70s.
"We have a lot of people that are living in fear now," said Paul.
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Modric's Milestone
The match also marks a historical milestone for Croatian captain Luka Modric, who logged his 21st career World Cup appearance following the team's recent 1-0 win against Panama, maintaining an 88 percent passing accuracy.
