After Ghana's 1-2 loss to Croatia in Group F, coach Queiroz stated that the team paid the price for key mistakes.

Queiroz said that Croatia played better in the first half and capitalized on Ghana's mistakes, including Sucic's 40-yard long shot. He believes that goals conceded like that "should not happen" at this level of competition.

Queiroz praised Ghana's second-half response but said the team failed to take their chances and ultimately paid the price.

Regarding the match, Queiroz said: "Croatia scored two goals. I think those two goals conceded were too easy—the way they scored the first and second goals was too easy. But credit to Croatia. When you score one more goal than your opponent, it means you deserve to win; it's that simple. It also means you made at least one more mistake than your opponent. When we make one more mistake than our opponent, there's no way to win the game."

Queiroz continued: "All we can say is that I think Croatia played better in the first half; they had better control of the game. In the second half, only Ghana was playing. I think our second-half performance should not have been punished by the second goal conceded. A draw would have been the fairest result. But there is no fairness in football; the only thing that exists is that the side that scores more goals wins, and the side that scores fewer goals loses."

When asked about Ghana having only one scoring opportunity in the first half, Queiroz said: "That's exactly what I said—unless I was mistaken just now. Croatia played better in the first half; they controlled the game better. We played much better in the second half. From an overall balance perspective, considering our second-half performance, I think a draw would have been a fair and acceptable result."

Queiroz added: "They capitalized on our mistakes in the first half. We lost possession several times after back passes. Those two goals conceded were too easy at this level of competition. Some goals conceded fall short of the standard expected at a world-class tournament. When we allow an opponent to score from 40 meters out, we have to do better. We also had several chances in the second half that we should have scored. But it's simple: we played better in the second half but didn't take our chances; they played better in the first half and scored one more goal than us. When that happens, there's nothing more to say. The winner deserves the result. We made one more crucial mistake than Croatia. When you make one more crucial mistake than your opponent, the result is not debatable."

Speaking about Modrić, Queiroz said: "Yes, he played very well. As always, he was the team's orchestrator. We assigned several different players at different stages of the game to try and limit Modrić's influence and stop him from controlling the game. But the way he moves always makes it difficult to contain him. This isn't unique to our game; he's been doing this for the past 10 years."

Queiroz continued: "If we can't contain him, we should control the players who receive his passes. Most of the time we did. But you cannot allow an opponent to score from 40 meters out. At this level of competition, 40 meters—no. You cannot let the opponent score from 40 meters away."

Regarding Anto's injury, Queiroz said: "No, just a knock—a slight ankle twist—but he will be fine."

When asked about the team's progress since he took over, Queiroz said: "For me, it comes down to this: I started coaching this team, and this is my fourth game. I learned a lot from this match. This game gave me the opportunity to test some different tactical decisions. The best part of this game is what we learned from it."

Queiroz continued: "From the perspective of team evolution and progress, we learned a lot. Through today's game, we have a clear understanding of some players' performances and where we can do things differently in the next few games. This is the first time we've played a 4-4-2 for 45 minutes with two strikers. We didn't have much time to practice this style of play, but the players executed well. I think with some adjustments, we can become even better, as shown in the second half."

When asked about African teams' performance and whether Africa should receive more FIFA World Cup slots, Queiroz said: "It's two sides of a coin. In my personal opinion, we must observe in the future. I do believe that something with truly immense value and importance is rare. I have never in my life seen something common possess immense value."

Queiroz said: "Regarding the number of teams qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, I'm concerned it might turn the event into an ordinary one. In South America now, a coach's great success isn't just qualifying. What should really receive media attention is the opposite. With so many teams qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, I think the scarcity value of World Cup qualification is still worth discussing. I still need to observe. This is just my personal opinion based on my feelings."

Queiroz continued: "Look at Europe—which European teams were eliminated in the qualifiers? Even the European and African qualifiers are starting to lose their importance. Because almost all South American teams qualify, and most European teams do too. So in the future, you'll see—my view is just a humble personal opinion, an answer to your question. Personally, in order to preserve the rare importance of the FIFA World Cup, I think the value should be concentrated on serious qualifiers. Qualifiers should be very tough, very serious, and very competitive, and then let 32 national teams enter the FIFA World Cup."

Queiroz added: "This also relates to the number of games players have to play at the end of the season. So there are many details that require very careful study in the future. Of course, I'll conclude my answer with this observation: as you know, money dominates football now. It's no longer called football; it's money football. When money speaks, decisions on the field change, so let's see what happens in the future. Personally, I would prefer to see the FIFA World Cup as a rare event, where qualification itself is very important, and then teams compete for the world championship. But this is just my personal opinion."

When asked if the team achieved its goals despite the loss, Queiroz said: "Yes, I think, as I always say, we either win or we learn. Today we learned how to better prepare for a world-class tournament. The real FIFA World Cup starts from the next game. The group stage is a warm-up for the knockout rounds."

Queiroz concluded: "As I told the players today, qualification is not the end. Qualification is just a credit card you receive that makes you worthy of being at this stage of the competition. Now we have to pay the price for having that credit card in our pocket. Games like this are where the real FIFA World Cup begins. Winners get everything; losers get nothing. This means every game has high stakes. From the first minute, no one can hide. Everyone has to give their all and put everything into the game. Play with intensity, drama, and emotion. The real FIFA World Cup starts from the next game."

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