Sučić scores from distance as Croatia breaks through Ghana

Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić stitched Croatia’s attack together with several quick touches before Kovačić moved the ball into the middle for Petar Sučić, who struck from outside the penalty area and scored Croatia’s first goal against Ghana. The finish came from distance and carried enough force and placement to beat the Ghanaian goalkeeper, with the ball ending up off the post and into the net.

The move started in the familiar space where Croatia often settles its biggest questions, through the midfield. Modrić and Kovačić exchanged the ball with the calm and control that has long defined Croatia’s central play, keeping the possession alive until Kovačić found the central lane. From there, Sučić took over the final phase with a shot from range, turning a careful build into a goal in one decisive swing.

Sučić’s strike also put a younger name at the end of a sequence shaped by two of Croatia’s most established midfielders. Modrić and Kovačić did the heavy lifting in the buildup, but Sučić finished the move with the kind of long-range attempt that has repeatedly been part of Croatia’s attacking threat. The goal was not a scramble in the box or a rebound off a loose ball. It was a controlled passage through midfield that ended with a clean hit from outside the area.

For Croatia, the action underlined how the team continues to create openings through technical midfield play rather than direct force. Modrić and Kovačić kept the rhythm, Sučić provided the distance, and the result was Croatia’s opening goal against Ghana. The sequence joined experience and arrival in a single attack, with the veteran pair setting the table and Sučić delivering the finish.