Croatia entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the reigning third-place finishers from the previous World Cup cycle. However, they faced one of the tournament favorites, England, in their opening match and suffered a 2-4 defeat.
In Matchday 2, Croatia take on Panama, widely considered the weakest team in the group. With qualification hopes on the line, Luka Modrić and his teammates know that victory is essential.
Although Croatia have lost three of their last four matches, context is important. Those defeats came against elite opponents:
- England
- Belgium
- Brazil
Against lower-ranked teams, Croatia’s record remains impressive, having won four consecutive matches against underdogs.
Their corner statistics in such fixtures are equally strong.
Across their last eight matches against weaker opposition, Croatia have earned 65 corners, averaging more than eight corners per game.
Even more notably:
- Seven of those eight matches finished Over the total corners line.
Panama have also been involved in corner-heavy games recently. Their last three matches have produced a combined total of 31 corners, averaging over ten corners per match.
Based on these trends, another high-volume corner contest appears likely.
Pick: Croatia & Over Total Corners
First-Half Corner Kick Prediction
Croatia have also been reliable in first-half corner markets.
- Seven of their last ten matches have produced Over first-half corners.
- Against weaker opponents, Croatia average more than 3.7 first-half corners per match across their last eight such fixtures.
Their attacking style often allows them to establish territorial dominance early, particularly against teams expected to defend deep.
Panama may spend long periods without possession, increasing the likelihood of Croatia generating multiple corners before halftime.
Pick: Croatia & Over First-Half Corners
Team News
Panama
- No major injury concerns.
- Midfielder Carlos Harvey is one yellow card away from suspension.
Croatia
- Full squad available.
- Striker Andrej Kramarić has fully recovered and is expected to return to the starting lineup.
Predicted Lineups
Panama
Mosquera; Ramos, Córdoba, Andrade; Murillo, Harvey, Bárcenas, Blackman; Martínez, Waterman, Rodríguez.
Croatia
Livaković; Stanišić, Šutalo, Vušković, Gvardiol; Modrić, Kovačić, Pašalić; Perišić, Musa, Kramarić.
Form & Corner Statistics
Croatia
- 65 corners in their last 8 matches against lower-ranked opponents.
- Average of more than 8 corners per game in those fixtures.
- Seven of those eight matches finished Over the total corners line.
- Strong first-half corner production.
Panama
- 31 total corners across their last 3 matches.
- Frequently concede possession against stronger teams.
- Likely to spend large portions of the game defending.
Recommended Corner Bets
Full Match
- Corner Handicap: Croatia
- Total Corners: Over
First Half
- First-Half Corner Handicap: Croatia
- First-Half Total Corners: Over
Expected Corner Count
Croatia’s attacking pressure and Panama’s defensive posture could create a one-sided corner battle. Croatia may generate 7–10 corners on their own, making a total of 10+ corners for the match a realistic expectation.
Best Corner Picks
✅ Croatia to win the corner handicap
✅ Over total corners (full match)
✅ Croatia to win the first-half corner handicap
✅ Over first-half corners