Fifa World Cup 2026: What you need to know about Croatia
Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic celebrate with their 2022 FIFA World Cup medals after Croatia finished third in Qatar
- Published
Get the lowdown on every team at the 2026 World Cup. Here we take a closer look at perennial dark horses Croatia.
What can I expect from Croatia?
Croatia's plethora of Peter Pan players still have the talent and desire to cause some mischief this summer.
Successive World Cup runners-up and third-place finishes mean Croatian success is no longer considered a surprise – unlike a mooted switch to a back three for this tournament.
Croatia are known for playing 4-3-3 or, more recently, 4-2-3-1 under their long-serving coach. Zlatko Dalic has sporadically and fleetingly dabbled with a three-man defence but said he would never play that formation again after abandoning it at half-time in a World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands last November.
He has since had a change of heart, in part because several key players are used to 3-4-2-1 with their clubs, and says: "We will use it, especially against stronger opponents."
What are Croatia's strengths?
In addition to technical excellence, the players have a collective fortitude born out of growing up in a country shaped by conflict.
The tight-knit squad has tournament know-how too; six players remain from the 2018 World Cup.
And what about their weaknesses?
A paucity of top-quality quick and direct forwards has long frustrated Dalic as it makes Croatia easier to defend against.
Playing 3-4-2-1 would likely mean influential winger Ivan Perisic adapting to a wing-back role.
With five of the six regular midfielders and forwards aged 32 or over, and some key players coming back from lengthy injuries, the intense schedule and heat could be an issue.
How might Croatia line up?
Which players should I look out for?
Captain. Baller. Legend. Now 40, Luka Modric continues to drive standards and direct play for club and country. The man in the mask – which he's expected to wear to protect a fractured cheekbone – won the 2018 Ballon d'Or and is Croatia's greatest player of all time.
The best-performing player under contract to Spurs in 2025-26 was 19-year-old central defender Luka Vuskovic, who enhanced his reputation on loan at Hamburg. The Bundesliga Player of the Season nominee has compelled Zlatko Dalic to rethink his formation.
After years of leading Croatia's attack, Andrej Kramaric is now thriving in his preferred deeper role. His tally of 140 goals in Germany's top flight over the past decade is second only to Robert Lewandowski.
Croatia are unbeaten in their World Cup group matches across the last two editions (W4 D2), conceding only two goals in that span
Who is Croatia's head coach?
Zlatko Dalic, 59, has brought unparalleled success to the national team across nearly nine years in charge, leading them to five major tournaments in a row and World Cup second and third places.
He says: "The emotion and love I feel for this team is priceless."
How did Croatia qualify?
With ease. Croatia set the tone with respective 7-0 and 5-1 wins over Gibraltar and Czech Republic and their only dropped points came with a draw in Prague.
Where can I watch Croatia?
All of Croatia's matches will also be covered live on the BBC Sport website and app with updates, analysis, and fan reaction. Come and be part of it!
Give me a fact to impress my friends
Croatia reached the 2022 World Cup semi-finals despite only being in the lead for 46 minutes in the tournament.
Now give me some proper detail
How has the national team of a small, fledgling country of just 3.9 million people become arguably the game's biggest overachievers?
In the 30 years since their first major tournament, Croatia have produced two golden generations. The first, spearheaded by iconic striker Davor Suker, reached the Euro 1996 quarter-finals on debut and came third at the 1998 World Cup.
The second, and current, crop went one better by reaching the 2018 World Cup final. They finished third four years ago and were Nations League runners-up in 2023 as the veteran core of the team continues to rage against the dying of the light.
Croatia unquestionably produces talented footballers, nurtured at academies where they'd often be asked to play in midfield – regardless of their usual position – to improve their all-round game.
However, it's the intangibles that make the current squad tick – a never-say-die mentality, national pride and unity.
Those traits have been forged, in part, from growing up in a newly-independent country ravaged by war following the break-up of Yugoslavia. It forced captain Luka Modric to flee his home and live as a refugee, and instilled in him and others a resilience and innate drive to overcome the odds.
"The national team has become a movement," long-serving head coach Zlatko Dalic said in 2024. "It is a symbol of the nation."
How have Croatia done at previous World Cups?
Croatia have reached at least the semi-finals in three of their six appearances but failed to go beyond the group stage in the other three. The 2018 finalists finished third in 2022 despite only winning two of seven matches, progressing through two penalty shoot-outs.
