Budimir: Ghana will be tough, but we must focus on ourselves first

Croatia beat Panama 1-0, and Budimir was interviewed in the FIFA mixed zone following the match.

Could you briefly sum up the match? You watched from the bench in the first half, when the team's performance was less than ideal. What changed after you came on in the second half? It seemed you covered more ground and posed a greater threat.

We knew before the match that Panama are a team that emphasize vertical progression. They have very fast players, and their back line—from goalkeeper to center-back—also has good footwork. In this match, I think they were very focused and controlled many second balls. They were also good at finding space behind us. They have strong individual ability, and there is a reason why they are ranked 30th in the world.

We didn’t underestimate them, but they adapted very well in the first half. In the second half, after I came on, our attacking intensity increased, and we had better control of the second balls. We scored early in the second half. I think this was different from the England match, where England scored first and controlled the pace. Unfortunately, after we scored, we had a couple more counter-attacking opportunities. Marko had the clearest chance, and if we’d converted it, we might have secured the victory earlier. But we didn’t, so the game remained tight.

However, I think we need to celebrate this victory. It is our first win in a major tournament in many years—around four years. After the European Championship in Germany and losing our first match of this tournament to England, we needed to reset, and we did that today. We hope to learn from this victory and continue improving the aspects that are important to our progress in the tournament.

How would you assess your immediate impact as a substitute and scoring such a crucial goal? This is Croatia's first victory in this FIFA World Cup. Also, what does it mean to play alongside Luka on his 200th national team appearance?

It feels fantastic. Coming on as a substitute, scoring in a stadium almost full of Croatian fans, and seeing that goal ultimately help the team win is truly special. This is my first goal in a major tournament and my first in the FIFA World Cup. Of course, I’m very happy, especially because it helped us begin our journey with a victory, which is exactly what we needed. We needed to start with a win, because we didn’t win at the last European Championship or in our opening match of this tournament against England. Now we need to review this seriously, use this victory as a starting point for the team’s continued growth, and prepare for the upcoming matches.

As for Luka, there is not much more to say. I do not know how many people in the world can make 200 appearances for their national team. We are very fortunate to have a captain like Luka, both as a player and as a person. We are all very happy, especially on such an important day, to celebrate with such an important victory. Everything is better when you win.

Congratulations on the victory. Next up is Ghana. I know it may be early, but have you followed their first two matches? You may need a win to secure qualification.

Yes, of course, we analyzed their match against Panama. They also played before us today, and we watched part of it. Judging by their results, they are a tough team to face.

We still have plenty of time to prepare. It will be a tough match—every match in the FIFA World Cup is. However, I think we need to focus on ourselves first. The most important thing is to give our best, learn from today's match, and continue improving throughout the tournament. Every detail matters: set pieces, which we executed well today; keeping a clean sheet, which is crucial; and maintaining focus at critical moments. These details will influence our upcoming matches. Of course, we also need to keep improving in other areas.

After you scored, the game seemed to open up, and you created several chances as well. In the final stages, Livakovic also made a crucial save. How did it look from the field? Did you feel that more clinical finishing could have extended the lead?

Yes, after we scored, we did have two or three counter-attacking opportunities. Marko's chance was probably the clearest, and if it had gone in, the game would essentially have been decided. The dynamic would have been completely different, and we would have been more relaxed.

After that goal, especially in the final 15 to 20 minutes, we found ourselves in a relatively passive situation again. But once again, we showed the team’s resilience. Livakovic made a crucial save, and we kept a clean sheet, which is very important. I still believe we need to learn from the positive aspects of this match and cherish this victory, because every win is hard-earned.

Many important achievements are built on attention to detail. Today, we improved in several areas: corners, defensive solidity with a clean sheet, and staying sharp at critical moments without losing focus on our defensive responsibilities. These elements will help us continue to progress. I hope these details drive us forward, allowing us to keep improving our form and better prepare for the upcoming matches.

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