Modric makes history with 200 caps as Croatia down Panama

Croatian midfielder Luka Modric became the fourth male footballer in history to earn 200 international caps as his team edged Panama 1-0 at Toronto Stadium on early Wednesday morning (Finnish time) to keep its hopes alive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reported Xinhua.

Substitute Ante Budimir scored the game's only goal in the 54th minute, giving Croatia its first three points of the tournament in Group L and eliminating Panama, which remained pointless after two games.

Modric, 40, who made his World Cup debut in Germany in 2006, joins Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Kuwait's Bader Al-Mutawa as the only male players to reach the 200-cap mark. Ronaldo, appearing in a record sixth World Cup with Portugal, holds the all-time record with more than 230 international caps.

In the 57th minute, Modric came close to helping Croatia double its lead, launching a counterattack from a Panamanian corner and sending Mario Pasalic through on goal, only for the midfielder's shot to be denied. Modric was substituted in the 81st minute to a standing ovation in front of 43,036 fans.

Panama, making only its second World Cup appearance, could take positives despite the result. Thomas Christiansen's side registered eight shots to Croatia's six, including a header that hit the crossbar in the 23rd minute. It will wrap up the tournament on Saturday against Group L leader England.

For Croatia, the victory keeps alive one of the more impressive runs for a nation of approximately four million people. Since its first World Cup appearance in 1998, Croatia has finished runner-up once, in 2018, and third twice, in 1998 and 2022.

Croatia will face Ghana in its final group match on Saturday, knowing a win will guarantee advancement to the round of 32. England and Ghana currently have four points apiece after a scoreless draw earlier on Tuesday.