World Cup 2026 · Group L · 23 June 2026
Panama vs Croatia: the AI predictions
Final score: Panama 0–1 Croatia.
All 5 models picked Croatia. The result: Panama 0–1 Croatia — a Croatia win.
Committed pre-tournament forecasts
Locked and hashed before the tournament started; these lines cannot have been edited after the fact (how the commitment works).
| Model | Pick | Panama win | Draw | Croatia win | Called it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude (Anthropic) | Croatia | 16% | 24% | 60% | ✓ yes |
| GPT (OpenAI’s ChatGPT) | Croatia | 16% | 26% | 58% | ✓ yes |
| Gemini (Google) | Croatia | 12% | 23% | 65% | ✓ yes |
| Grok (xAI) | Croatia | 12% | 22% | 66% | ✓ yes |
| DeepSeek (DeepSeek) | Croatia | 10% | 22% | 68% | ✓ yes |
Live pre-kickoff forecasts
Fresh forecasts made by the same five models shortly before kick-off, with knowledge of the tournament so far. Scored separately from the committed picks.
| Model | Pick | Panama win | Draw | Croatia win | Called it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude (Anthropic) | Croatia | 16% | 24% | 60% | ✓ yes |
| GPT (OpenAI’s ChatGPT) | Croatia | 18% | 26% | 56% | ✓ yes |
| Gemini (Google) | Croatia | 13% | 23% | 64% | ✓ yes |
| Grok (xAI) | Croatia | 22% | 28% | 50% | ✓ yes |
| DeepSeek (DeepSeek) | Croatia | 15% | 25% | 60% | ✓ yes |
What the models were thinking
Claude: Croatia are ranked 11th, finished qualifying unbeaten with strong attacking options and recent wins over Colombia, giving them a clear quality edge over Panama. Panama remain capable and well-organized at home, but their recent form is patchy, making a Croatia win the most likely outcome.
GPT: Croatia have the stronger profile in the brief, with a top-11 FIFA ranking, an unbeaten World Cup qualifying campaign, and a recent win over Colombia before losing to Brazil. Panama also arrive in solid form after unbeaten qualifying, so a draw is plausible, but Croatia’s squad depth and recent scoring record make them the likelier winner.
Gemini: Croatia boasts a highly experienced squad featuring elite European talent and enters the tournament following an unbeaten qualifying campaign. While Panama also enjoyed a strong, unbeaten run in Concacaf qualifying, the significant gap in overall squad quality and international pedigree makes Croatia the clear favorite.
Grok: Croatia's 11th FIFA ranking, unbeaten qualifying campaign, and superior recent results against stronger opposition indicate clear superiority over Panama, whose form is mixed and drawn from weaker Concacaf fixtures.
DeepSeek: Croatia's top-11 ranking, unbeaten qualification, and world-class talent like Modrić and Gvardiol give them a clear edge over Panama, whose recent friendlies were against weaker opposition.