WORLD CUP
Men’s World Cup
If Croatia loses in World Cup today what happens? If Ghana loses?
John LeuzziUSA TODAY NETWORK
June 27, 2026, 6:33 p.m. ET
PHILADELPHIA — One of the most important games left in group stage play for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is taking place at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday
Ghana, despite clinching its spot in the knockout on Friday, entered its Group L final match against Croatia playing for seeding in its group standings, as a win or a draw would get them the runner-up spot, while a loss, well, it would drop them to third
Croatia entered the day with a bit of a small margin of error, as it needs a win or a draw against Ghana to move on to the round of 32
As things stand, with the second half underway, Croatia has a 1-0 advantage against Ghana thanks to a goal in the 31st minute from Inter Milan midfielder Petar Sučić, who broke out a post-goal baby celebration to acknowledge he was expecting with his wife. It was the first game that Ghana and Benjamin Asare have given up the entire World Cup
How could Group L (and the overall) World Cup standings look after this game?
Here’s what to know:
Is Croatia out of World Cup with a loss to Ghana?
Yes. If Croatia is unable to hold its lead against Ghana in the second half, Croatia would be eliminated from the World Cup. It would also end a run of back-to-back World Cups where Croatia has advanced out of the group stage
If England wins, they are the No. 1 seed because of the goal differential tiebreaker. If England loses its two-goal lead against Panama, Croatia would win the group with a win against Ghana. If both teams hold onto their leads, Croatia would find itself in second place. A draw for Croatia would make them the third place team
Is Ghana out of World Cup with a loss to Croatia?
No. Ghana clinched its spot in the round of 32 late Friday night off the results of yesterday’s World Cup matches. That being said, if Ghana is unable to come back and beat Croatia in the second half, the Black Stars would drop down to Group L’s third-place team
Group L standings
Here’s a look at what the Group L standings looked like entering Saturday’s matches:
- *England 1-1-0 (+2) – 4 points
- *Ghana 1-1-0 (+1) – 4 points
- Croatia 1-0-1 (-1) – 3 points
- Panama 0-0-2 (-2) – 0 points
Click here for live standings and round of 32 projections
