Croatia face Panama in World Cup 2026 Group L on Friday June 20 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with kick-off at 6 p.m. ET, 11 p.m. BST. Croatia drew 1-1 with England in their Group L opener, while Panama lost 1-0 to Ghana, meaning both sides come into the match knowing that another dropped result could put their knockout stage ambitions in serious jeopardy.
In the United States, the match is on FS1 in English and Telemundo in Spanish. FS1 streams through the Fox Sports app for cable and satellite subscribers, and through Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV for cord-cutters. Panama has a significant supporter community in the New York and New Jersey areas, meaning the New England venue could see a vocal Panamanian presence despite the geographical distance.
In the United Kingdom, the match is on ITV2 with streaming available on ITVX free of charge. In Croatia, HRT holds national broadcast rights and is showing all Croatian World Cup matches live. The 11 p.m. BST kick-off is midnight in Central European time, making it a late match for Croatian fans at home. In Panama, RPC TV and TVN are carrying the World Cup, with this match on both channels simultaneously given its national significance.
Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic said the draw with England was an acceptable result but that the team needed to win against Panama to remain in control of their qualification destiny. Luka Modric, at 40 the tournament’s oldest starting player, was excellent against England and is expected to marshal the midfield again. Dalic confirmed that Ivan Perisic would start on the left after coming off the bench in the opener, with his delivery from wide positions a key weapon against a Panama side that struggled with aerial threats against Ghana.
Panama qualified through the CONCACAF region and are making their second World Cup appearance, having debuted in Russia in 2018. Their defensive organisation has been impressive in qualifying, and manager Thomas Christiansen has set them up to be compact and hard to beat, looking to strike on the counter. Despite the loss to Ghana, Panama created two clear chances and will feel their attacking quality was not fully reflected in the result. England’s match against Ghana in the other Group L fixture kicks off simultaneously at 3 p.m. ET, meaning both games in the group play at the same time.
Gillette Stadium holds 66,000 for football. The New England region has a significant Croatian-American community, particularly in the Boston area, and the venue should have strong Croatian support from local fans. FIFA Plus offers free streaming in countries without dedicated broadcast rights for the 2026 tournament.
Both teams know the Group L standings will be clearer after Friday. A Croatia win combined with an England win over Ghana would put Croatia and England at the top on four points, with Ghana on three and Panama eliminated. Every Group L scenario remains open entering Friday’s double-header. England’s opener against Croatia ended 1-1, meaning the rematch dynamic adds extra motivation for both nations in their respective Friday fixtures.
