Men's World Cup

Croatia vs Ghana World Cup prediction, picks, analysis

USA TODAY

June 27, 2026, 6:31 a.m. ET

Croatia and Ghana have a lot on the line in their Group L finale for the 2026 World Cup. The fixture will take place on Saturday, June 27 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Croatia captain Luka Modrić had his 200th cap in the country's second group match, a 1-0 win over Panama. Croatia started their World Cup by battling England well in a 4-2 loss. Three different players have each scored a goal as Zlatko Dalić hopes for another deep run. He's taken the European side to the final and semifinals in the last two World Cups.

Ghana has played strong with a 1-0 win over Panama via a late goal from Caleb Yirenkyi and taking England to a scoreless draw. The African side swapped managers and hired Carlos Queiroz to lead the team only two months before the World Cup kickoff. There is controversy around the Black Stars because vice-captain Thomas Partey is facing criminal charges, including rape.

Ghana is tied with England at the top of the group with four points. Croatia is only one point behind, so a win or draw against the Black Stars would secure their spot in the knockout round. The top two teams of each group will advance to the round of 32 as well as the top eight third-place teams.

The 2026 World Cup is the largest ever, and USA TODAY is going all in with reporters on the ground in all 16 host cities across three countries to cover 48 teams vying for the trophy. Get our World Cup: Extra Time newsletter in your inbox every morning and join our WhatsApp channel to get the latest updates right in your texts.

Croatia vs Ghana predictions

Seth Vertelney: Croatia 0-0 Ghana

A draw would probably suit both teams and Ghana has been ultra defensive at this tournament. This could be a low-scoring (or no-scoring) affair.

Jon Arnold: Croatia 2-0 Ghana

Croatia has the wile to break through Ghana's great wall, forcing Carlos Queiroz's side to try and play and leading to at least one more.

Jesse Yomtov: Croatia 1 - 0 Ghana

Croatia finishes with six points against a Ghana team that has proven tough to break down.

Victoria Hernandez: Croatia 2 - 1 Ghana

Ghana will be feeling good after keeping England to a scoreless draw, but Croatia wants the win more to advance out of the group stage yet again.

World Cup picks, predictions and odds for June 27

How to watch Croatia vs Ghana on June 27

Matchup: Croatia vs Ghana
Date: Saturday, June 27
Time: 5:00 PM (ET)
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TV: FS1
Streaming: FOX One App
Spanish Broadcast: Telemundo, Peacock

Watch the 2026 World Cup with Fubo

Croatia vs Ghana odds

World Cup standings

Explore live group standings, stats and the updated bracket with USA TODAY Sports here.

2026 World Cup format

The 48 competing nations are divided into 12 groups of four. Each group will play a round robin style where teams are awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw. The top two teams in each group advance to the Round of 32 along with the eight best third-place squads. Tiebreakers in the group standings will be resolved using the following criteria:

Greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned
Superior goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned
Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams concerned
Superior goal difference in all group matches
Greatest number of goals scored in all group matches
Highest team conduct score (players and team officials) relating to the number of yellow and red cards obtained
The two or more teams still equal on points shall be ranked according to the most recent published edition of the FIFA Men's World Ranking

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