Croatia at the 2026 World Cup

Croatia's recent World Cup run is statistically the most improbable in modern football. A nation of 3.8 million reaching the 2018 final (lost 4-2 to France), the 2022 semi-finals (third place, beating Brazil on penalties along the way), and running every tournament deeper than logic says it should. At the center of it all is Luka Modrić, now 40 years old, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, and the captain preparing for almost certainly his final World Cup.

Zlatko Dalić, in charge since 2017, remains one of the longest-tenured coaches at the tournament and has resisted the urge to rebuild around younger players. The spine of 2018 and 2022 is still present: Modrić, Mateo Kovačić and Marcelo Brozović in midfield (though Brozović's role has reduced); Andrej Kramarić and Bruno Petković leading the line; Dominik Livaković between the posts. The younger core — Joško Gvardiol at center-back, Luka Sučić and Petar Sučić in midfield, Joško Gvardiol's Barcelona partner Martin Erlić — is emerging in parallel but not yet running the team.

UEFA qualifying was efficient: seven wins, two draws. Croatia finished second in their group behind France and earned direct qualification without playoff drama. Their ELO (1862) remains remarkably high given the squad's average age and the absence of elite athletes outside Modrić and Gvardiol.

Group L draws Croatia with England — a straight rematch of the 2018 Russia semi-final that ended 2-1 to the Vatreni in extra time — plus Ghana and Panama. England will be the headline; Croatia are firm favorites to win one of the top two spots. Knockout football is where this team does its damage: two consecutive World Cups, two semi-final-or-better finishes, and a collective tournament experience that no other squad in 2026 can match.

For Croatian fans, the prospect of Modrić lifting a trophy in his international swan song — or falling just short, like 2018 — is the emotional heart of this tournament. Either way, it is almost certainly the last time this exact Vatreni core will take the field together.

Dalić plays a 4-3-3 that frequently becomes a 4-4-2 diamond with Modrić at the tip. Possession is Croatia's default: midfield dominance, patient build-up, and knockout matches that Croatia are happy to take to extra time and penalties (where they are genuinely elite — Croatia have won four consecutive World Cup penalty shootouts). Gvardiol bombs forward from left-back in the modern inverted style; Ivan Perišić, if fit, remains the set-piece threat. Strengths: tournament-tested midfield, elite penalty-shootout culture, and a coach who has been at the helm for nearly a decade. Weaknesses: age in the midfield — Modrić and Brozović together play at a slower tempo than top opponents impose — and the attack has never been genuinely prolific, relying on set-pieces and individual creativity to score rather than high-volume chance creation.