Croatia recorded a convincing 3-0 victory over Nigeria in the World Cup, securing second-place seeding for the knockout stage and booking a quarterfinal clash with USA. The team controlled the scoreline across the full 90 minutes and finished the match with a perfect defensive record, shutting out their opponents to underline a solid all-round display.
Luka Modric became the central figure of the night. The 37-year-old set a new record for most World Cup knockout appearances and backed that milestone with direct impact on the result, contributing one goal and one assist against Nigeria. His attacking output gave Croatia a clear edge and provided the platform for the team to build a decisive lead.
With Nigeria unable to break through, Croatia managed the tempo and protected their three-goal advantage to the final whistle. The clean sheet highlighted the balance between their organized defense and Modric-led creativity in attack. Securing second place in the knockout seeding, Croatia now turn their focus to the upcoming quarterfinal fixture against USA.
