Veteran midfielder Luka Modric was on target as Croatia edged Slovenia 2-1, while Ecuador and Colombia also secured convincing victories in FIFA friendlies on Sunday as teams fine-tuned preparations for the 2026 World Cup.
Croatia left it late to end their pre-tournament campaign on a winning note after overcoming neighbours Slovenia in a closely contested encounter.
Following a goalless first half, Modric broke the deadlock when he expertly guided Ivan Perisic's pass beyond goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Slovenia responded through Andraz Sporar after a lapse in concentration from Martin Baturina, cancelling out the lead despite a fine save earlier from Dominik Livakovic to deny Zan Vipotnik.
With the match seemingly headed for a draw, Mario Pasalic produced a moment of brilliance in stoppage time, smashing a spectacular volley off the underside of the crossbar and into the net to hand Croatia a dramatic victory and avoid entering the World Cup on a three-match winless streak.
In Columbus, Ohio, Ecuador extended their unbeaten run to 19 matches with a comfortable 3-0 triumph over Guatemala.
Jordy Caicedo opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half after Alan Minda was brought down inside the area. Ecuador doubled their advantage after the break when Angelo Preciado's deflected cross found Nilson Angulo, who headed home.
The South Americans wrapped up the win in style through left-back Pervis Estupinan, who capitalised on a poor clearance from goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen and lofted the ball into the net from distance.
Meanwhile, Colombia defeated fellow World Cup qualifiers Jordan 2-0 in San Diego thanks to a brace from Jhon Arias.
The Palmeiras forward opened the scoring after latching onto a through ball from James Rodriguez before shrugging off two defenders and finishing into the bottom corner. Arias added his second later in the match, heading home from Santiago Arias' cross following an incisive passing move.
Jordan's hopes of a comeback were dented further when Amer Jamous received a second yellow card late in the game, reducing his side to 10 men.
Elsewhere, Morocco and Norway shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in Harrison, New Jersey.
Brahim Diaz gave Morocco an early lead with a composed finish after a swift counter-attack, but Norway improved significantly after the interval and earned a deserved equaliser through captain Martin Odegaard.
The draw extended Norway's unbeaten run to three matches ahead of their first World Cup appearance since 1998. Stale Solbakken's side will begin their campaign against Iraq on June 16, while Morocco are set to face Brazil three days earlier in their tournament opener.