Before kick-off: define the sample first
| Outcome | matches | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Croatia wins | 0 | — |
| Draws | 0 | — |
| Ghana wins | 0 | — |
FactUsing the explicit scope of completed 2026 World Cup matches before kick-off, the teams had met 0 times: 0 Croatia wins, 0 draws and 0 Ghana wins. This is not presented as an all-time record.
FactThe comparison direction on this page is fixed: Croatia is the recorded home side, Ghana the away side, and 2–1 is stored in that order. A later meeting would remain a separate event record.
Personnel: how the starting XI changed
FactCroatia changed 3 starters from its previous match; Ghana changed 3 starters. Continuity is calculated from confirmed starters only.
FactCroatia's new starters include Nikola Vlašić, Petar Sučić, Ante Budimir; Ghana's new starters include Derrick Luckassen, Elisha Owusu, Kamaldeen Sulemana. The names connect the continuity count to specific personnel.
The result: 2–1 and the decisive sequence
FactThe final score was Croatia 2–1 Ghana. The verified scoring sequence was 31′ Petar Sučić、73′ Derrick Luckassen、83′ Nikola Vlašić. Score, sequence and line-up changes are facts; the mechanism inferred from them is labelled as analysis.
FactThe verification index for Croatia versus Ghana fixes four fields: the 2–1 final score, the 2026 FIFA World Cup · Group L stage, the Lincoln Financial Field location and 3 scoring events. Together they identify this match without borrowing context from another fixture.
FactNode 1: Petar Sučić scored for Croatia in minute 31, setting the ledger at 1–0; Node 2: Derrick Luckassen scored for Ghana in minute 73, setting the ledger at 1–1; Node 3: Nikola Vlašić scored for Croatia in minute 83, setting the ledger at 2–1
FactCroatia's location key for this match is Lincoln Financial Field, shared by Ghana; Croatia's 2 goals and Ghana's 1 goals belong only to this venue and kick-off record.
Why this result made sense
AnalysisCroatia versus Ghana, 2–1: Croatia converted the lead against Ghana into the 2-1 result. Aggregated player data shows a shot gap of 2 and a pass-completion gap of 2.8 percentage points; game-state management mattered more than any single possession number.