World Cup 2026: Derrick Luckassen proud yet disappointed after scoring on Black Stars debut against Croatia

Derrick Luckassen endured a night of mixed emotions as he marked his FIFA World Cup debut with a goal but was ultimately left frustrated by Ghana’s 2-1 defeat to Croatia in Philadelphia. The result saw the Black Stars finish third in Group L, although qualification for the Round of 32 had already been secured.

The 30-year-old defender, who replaced the injured Alexander Djiku in Ghana’s tournament squad and was handed his first World Cup start after Jerome Opoku was rested, produced a memorable moment in the 73rd minute. Rising inside the box, Luckassen brought Ghana level before a lengthy VAR review confirmed his historic first international goal.

Speaking after the final whistle, the Pafos defender admitted that the personal milestone was overshadowed by the disappointment of defeat.

“Nice feeling (for scoring), but I am a bit disappointed about the loss.”

Luckassen became one of the oldest players to score on his World Cup debut for Ghana and immediately justified Carlos Queiroz’s faith in him following his late inclusion in the squad. His journey to this moment has been remarkable, having represented the Netherlands at youth level before switching allegiance to the Black Stars earlier this year.

Reflecting on the match itself, the defender felt Ghana improved considerably after the interval.

“I think in the first half, we had the ball, but we didn’t do a lot; we were just playing around, but in the second half, we pressed forward, and we tried to put the balls in and it was much better, in my opinion.”

That assessment aligns with the match statistics and overall flow of the encounter. Croatia controlled large portions of the first half and opened the scoring through Petar Sucic before Ghana responded with far greater aggression after the break. Luckassen’s equaliser appeared to shift momentum toward the Black Stars, only for Nikola Vlasic to restore Croatia’s advantage ten minutes later with a decisive header from Luka Modric’s corner.

Despite the setback, there remains significant optimism within the Ghana camp. The Black Stars had already guaranteed their place in the knockout stages thanks to their opening victory over Panama and impressive goalless draw against England. Their four-point haul was enough to secure one of the best third-placed spots in the expanded 48-team tournament.

Luckassen’s emergence could also prove crucial moving forward, particularly with concerns over injuries in Ghana’s defensive department. His aerial presence, physicality and experience provide Carlos Queiroz with another reliable option as the tournament enters its decisive phase.

For the Amsterdam-born defender, Saturday night delivered both a lifelong dream and a harsh reminder of football’s unforgiving nature. Scoring on your World Cup debut is a moment few players ever experience, but as Luckassen made clear, personal glory means little when the team walks away defeated. Ghana, however, still have another chapter to write in this tournament, and their newest goalscoring defender may yet have a major role to play.