Nation dossier · Group L · In contention
Croatia
Republic of Croatia
Up next Croatia v Ghana · Group L
Title probability
1.1%
as of 2026-06-25
Overview
Croatia arrive at 2026 as eternal overachievers, a nation of four million that has reached two of the last three World Cup semifinals. The golden generation refuses to fade — Luka Modrić, defying age, remains the heartbeat — but the transition is finally underway with Gvardiol, Šutalo and Sučić carrying the torch.
Qualifying was navigated with the usual blend of guile and grit under Zlatko Dalić, who knows exactly how to peak in tournaments. The question is whether the legs in midfield can still control matches over a long campaign, or whether this is the last dance for the old guard.
Capital
Zagreb
Population
3,900,000
Confederation
UEFA
FIFA code
CRO
From Wikipedia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Italy to the west. The Croatian…
Source: Wikipedia →Squad
- 152caps
Dominik Livaković
Fenerbahçe · Penalty shootout hero
- 128caps
Ivica Ivušić
Pafos · Reliable deputy keeper
- 233caps
Nediljko Labrović
Rijeka · Promising third choice
- 224caps
Josip Stanišić
Bayern Munich · Versatile attacking full-back
- 317caps
Borna Sosa
Ajax · Cultured left-back delivery
- 420caps
Josip Šutalo
Ajax · Composed young centre-back
- 511caps
Martin Erlić
Bologna · Aerially dominant stopper
- 1512caps
Marin Pongračić
Fiorentina · Powerful left-footed defender
- 2036caps
Joško Gvardiol
Manchester City · World-class ball-playing defender
- 21105caps
Domagoj Vida
AEK Athens · Veteran defensive leader
- 2234caps
Josip Juranović
Union Berlin · Energetic overlapping right-back
- 618caps
Luka Sučić
Real Sociedad · Creative box-to-box talent
- 734caps
Lovro Majer
Wolfsburg · Silky left-footed playmaker
- 8104caps
Mateo Kovačić
Manchester City · Press-resistant midfield engine
- 10182caps
Luka Modrić
AC Milan · Captain and eternal maestro
- 1198caps
Marcelo Brozović
Al-Nassr · Metronomic deep-lying anchor
- 1352caps
Nikola Vlašić
Torino · Tireless attacking midfielder
- 147caps
Martin Baturina
Dinamo Zagreb · Exciting emerging creator
- 999caps
Andrej Kramarić
Hoffenheim · Clinical experienced finisher
- 1642caps
Bruno Petković
Dinamo Zagreb · Target-man with clutch goals
- 1724caps
Ante Budimir
Osasuna · Powerful aerial centre-forward
- 1829caps
Marko Pjaca
Rijeka · Direct wide attacker
- 194caps
Igor Matanović
Eintracht Frankfurt · Hungry young striker prospect
Model
as of 2026-06-25Exp. points
5.09
Proj. finish
18.3
Seed Elo
1900
Title-probability trajectory
Champion chance across the last 14 snapshots
Matches
History
1998
Third place
2018
Runners-up
2022
Third place
Culture
Football culture
Football is the undisputed national obsession, with fierce passion radiating from clubs like Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split. The checkered shirt is a unifying emblem, and the country produces an improbable conveyor belt of elite midfielders.
Did you know
- A country of four million has reached three World Cup semifinals.
- The necktie was invented by Croatian soldiers — 'cravat' comes from 'Croat'.
- Dalmatian dogs originate from Croatia's Dalmatia region.
- Luka Modrić's 2018 Ballon d'Or broke the Messi-Ronaldo decade.
- Croatia boasts over 1,200 islands along its Adriatic coast.