Ghana finished third in Group L after a 1-2 defeat to Croatia, and head coach Queiroz said the team paid the price for critical errors.

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

Queiroz praised Ghana's response in the second half but said the team failed to capitalize on chances and ultimately paid the price.

Speaking about the match, Queiroz said: "Croatia scored two goals. I think the two goals they scored were too easy—the way they scored the first and second goals was too easy. But credit to Croatia. When you score more goals than your opponent, it means you deserved to win, plain and simple. It also means you made at least one more mistake than your opponent. When we made more mistakes than our opponent, there's no way to win the match."

Queiroz continued: "The only thing we can say is that I think Croatia played better in the first half—they controlled the match better. In the second half, only Ghana played. I don't think our second-half performance should be punished by conceding a second goal. A draw would have been the fairest result. But there's no fairness in football. The only reality is that the team that scores more goals wins, and the team that scores fewer goals loses."

Regarding Ghana having just one scoring chance in the first half, Queiroz said: "That's exactly what I'm saying, unless I misspoke earlier. Croatia played better in the first half—they controlled the match better. We played much better in the second half. From an overall balance perspective, considering our second-half performance, I think a fair and acceptable result would have been a draw."

Queiroz added: "They capitalized on our mistakes in the first half. We lost possession a few times after back passes. Those two goals were too easy at this level. Some goals don't meet the standard of a major tournament. When we allow an opponent to score from 40 meters, we must do better. We also had a couple of chances in the second half and should have scored. But simply put, we played better in the second half but didn't capitalize on our chances; they played better in the first half and scored one more goal than us. When that happens, there's nothing to say. The winning team deserved the result. We made a bigger mistake than Croatia. When you make a bigger mistake than your opponent, the outcome is indisputable."

Speaking about Modric, Queiroz said: "Yes, he played very well. As usual, he's the team's commander. We deployed different players at different stages of the match to limit Modric's influence, trying to prevent him from orchestrating play for his team. But the way he moves makes it very difficult to contain him. This doesn't only happen in our match—he's been like this for the past 10 years."

Queiroz continued: "If we can't contain him, we should contain the players receiving his passes. We did that most of the time. But a 40-meter shot—you can't allow an opponent to score from that distance. At this level of competition, 40 meters, no. You cannot allow an opponent to score from 40 meters away."

Regarding Antoine's injury, Queiroz said: "No, it was just a collision—a mild ankle sprain—but he'll be fine."

Speaking 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 match. I've learned a lot from this match. This match gave me the opportunity to test different tactical decisions on the pitch. The best thing about this match is what we've learned from it."

Queiroz continued: "In terms of the team's development and progress, we learned a great deal. From today's match, we have a clear picture of some players' performances, and we also know we can make different adjustments in the next matches. This was the first time we played a 4-4-2 formation with two strikers for 45 minutes. We didn't have much time to practice this system, but the players did well. I think with some adjustments, we can improve, as we showed in the second half."

On African teams' performances and whether Africa should have more spots in the FIFA World Cup, Queiroz said: "These are two sides of the same issue. In my personal opinion, we need to observe in the future. I truly believe that something with real value, true importance, is very rare. I've never seen anything ordinary hold great value in my life."

Queiroz said: "Regarding the number of teams qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, I worry this could turn the event into something ordinary. In South America now, a coach's great success is not just about securing qualification. What should really draw media attention is the opposite situation. With so many teams now qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, I think the scarcity value of World Cup qualification is still worth discussing. I need to continue observing. This is just my opinion based on personal perception."

Queiroz continued: "Look at Europe—how many European teams were eliminated in qualifying? Even European and African qualifiers are beginning to lose their importance and meaning. Because most South American teams qualify, and so do most European teams. So in the future, you'll see, my opinion is just a humble personal perspective, an answer to your question. Personally, to preserve the rare importance and meaning of the FIFA World Cup, I think qualification should focus on rigorous qualifying rounds. Qualifying should be very difficult, very serious, and highly competitive, and then invite 24 national teams to the FIFA World Cup."

Queiroz added: "This also relates to the number of matches players must play at the end of the season. So there are many small details that all need to be studied very, very carefully in the future. Of course, I'll end my answer to your question with a remark: as you know, money now speaks in football. It's no longer called football—it's called money ball. When money starts speaking, decisions on the pitch will begin to change, so let's see what happens in the future. Personally, I want to see the FIFA World Cup as a rare event where qualifying itself is very important, and then competing for the world championship in the later stages. But that's just a personal opinion."

On whether the team achieved its objectives despite the loss, Queiroz said: "Yes, I think, as I always say, we either win or we learn. Today we learned something—we learned how to better prepare for a major tournament. The FIFA World Cup really begins with the next match. The group stage is the warm-up phase for qualification."

Queiroz concluded: "As I told the young 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 tournament. Now we must pay the price for putting that credit card in our pocket. Matches like this are where the FIFA World Cup truly begins. The winner takes all, the loser gets nothing. This means every match has drama. From the first minute, no one can hide anything. Everyone must give their all and commit fully to the match. Play knockout matches with entertainment, drama, and emotion. The FIFA World Cup truly begins with the next match."

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