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Getty/GOALWorld Cup 2026 Ultimate Guide: Croatia
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An almost flawless qualifying campaign and statistics that speak for themselves. Croatia’s journey to the 2026 World Cup was virtually perfect. The Balkan side secured qualification with seven wins and just one draw, scoring 26 goals while conceding only four.
Croatian football continues to prove itself as one of the most productive and successful systems in both Europe and the world, as reflected by the national team's achievements over the past decade, which includes a World Cup final appearance, a further run to the semi-finals and two trips to the knockouts of the Euros.
What to expect
Getty/GOALCroatia possess a nice mix of seasoned veterans and talented youngsters
After finishing runners-up to France in 2018 and claiming third place in Qatar four years later, Croatia arrive at this World Cup no longer as dark horses, but as a team with genuine ambitions and expectations.
Recent results reinforce the belief that Croatia can once again play a leading role on football’s biggest stage. While the golden generation that reached the 2018 final has largely moved on, the country's impressive talent pipeline continues to produce players capable of competing at the highest level.
What better stage than the World Cup to showcase that quality and continuity? The disappointment of an early exit at the most recent Euros still lingers, but Croatia now have an opportunity to make amends - and do so in emphatic fashion.
Man in charge
Getty ImagesCoaching at his third World Cup, Zlatko Dalic has quite the record to uphold
Croatia remain under the guidance of Zlatko Dalic, who has been in charge since October 2017. Now preparing for his third World Cup, Dalic recently celebrated his 100th match in charge of the national team and is once again aiming for the ultimate prize after coming so close in the past.
Since taking over, Dalic has narrowly missed out on major silverware twice, both at the 2018 World Cup and in the 2023 Nations League, losing both finals.
His preferred 4-2-3-1 formation forms the foundation of a football philosophy built on technical quality, possession and attractive play, always with the objective of achieving results.
MVP
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Luka Modric will likely bow out from international football after his fifth World Cup
At 40 years old, Luka Modric remains the beating heart of Croatia. After dazzling Serie A during his debut season at AC Milan, Modric once again brings his experience and extraordinary vision to the national team, qualities that have kept him among the world's elite for more than 15 years.
Winner of the Ballon d'Or in 2018 and the embodiment of quiet leadership, Modric belongs to the generation that delivered some of the greatest moments in Croatian football history. Heading into his fifth World Cup, Modric knows that this tournament will likely be his last on the international stage.
His goal, then is clear: Leave one last unforgettable mark on a tournament he has lit up many times since his debut in 2006.
One to watch
Spurs teenager Luka Vuskovic is a threat in both penalty areas
Luka Vuskovic has enjoyed a breakthrough season after impressing on loan at Hamburg, so much so that the teenage centre-back was voted to the Bundesliga Team of the Year.
A product of Hajduk Split’s academy, Vuskovic spent time on loan in Poland and Belgium before joining Tottenham in the summer of 2025. Spurs subsequently loaned Vuskovic to Hamburg, and the move has proved to be an excellent one.
Despite being a defender, Vuskovic has developed a knack for scoring goals, making the 19-year-old a threat in both penalty areas.. The World Cup now represents the perfect opportunity for Vuskovic to confirm his status as one of international football’s brightest young prospects.