Croatia head to the 2026 World Cup aiming to maintain their excellent recent record at the finals.
Runners-up to France in Russia in 2018, Zlatko Dajic’s side followed that up with an impressive third-place finish in Qatar four years ago.
Also semi-finalists in 1998, that is not a bad return from six previous appearances at the tournament. The evergreen Luka Modric is set for what will surely be his World Cup swansong, while fellow veteran Ivan Perisic also brings plenty of pedigree to the ranks.
Croatia route to the World Cup
Croatia cruised to World Cup qualification this time round, maintaining an unbeaten record for the third time overall, but the first time since the 2006 qualifying cycle.
Zlatko Dalic’s men endured a couple of hiccups along the way, most notably going 1-0 down at home to the Faroe Islands before eventually winning 3-1, and only beating the same opponent 1-0 away from home earlier in the campaign.
However, on the whole, Croatia were very impressive, asserting their authority as the group’s dominant team, and standing as the only team to stop second-placed Czech Republic from winning at home.
Croatia World Cup 2026 fixtures
Croatia have been drawn into Group L for the 2026 World Cup, alongside England, Ghana and Panama. They will open their tournament against England at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on 17th June, before facing Panama in Toronto and a potentially vital showdown against Ghana in Philadelphia.
MORE: Get the latest Croatia World Cup 2026 odds here
Croatia key players for World Cup 2026
Croatia top World Cup Golden Boot contender: Andrej Kramaric
- Key stat: Only Davor Suker (45) and Ivan Perisic (38) have scored more goals for the Croatian national team than Andrej Kramaric (36).
An eternally underrated striker, Andrej Kramaric is enjoying another productive season in Germany with Hoffenheim. He ended with 15 goals and eight assists in 36 Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal appearances. Kramaric has scored three World Cup goals for Croatia over the years, which is a total bettered only by Mario Mandzukic (five), Ivan Perisic (six) and Davor Suker (six). His experience and know-how in front of goal will be vital again next summer, despite turning 35 during the tournament.
Croatia primary playmaker: Ivan Perisic
- Key stat: Ivan Perisic registered four assists during World Cup qualifying, only Sorba Thomas (five) and Martin Odegaard (seven) provided more.
Perisic has an excellent record for Croatia over the years in a creative sense, registering 36 assists. Five have come at the World Cup, which is at least two more than any other Croatia player.
The former Dortmund, Inter and Tottenham man — currently playing for PSV– registered another four assists during qualifying, and was second only to teammate Joey Veerman (14) for Eredivisie assists this season (12).
Croatia top tackler: Petar Sucic
- Key stat: Petar Sucic made 3.8 tackles per 90 minutes (16th) and 21 tackles overall (36th) during World Cup qualifying.
Petar Sucic has crashed into the Inter Milan starting line-up since joining from Dinamo Zagreb in the summer, becoming a tackling machine for the Nerazzurri.
The 22-year-old has made 42 tackles in Serie A at an average of 2.24 per 90 minutes, which is second only to Davide Frattesi (2.4) among Inter players with more than 90 minutes on the board.
And Sucic carried that into his national team performances, sitting 16th and 36th among all players to participate in Uefa qualifying for tackles per 90 and overall tackles, respectively.
Croatia rising star: Luka Vuskovic
Loaned straight out to Bundesliga side Hamburg after joining Tottenham Hotspur from Hajduk Split in the summer, Luka Vuskovic has enjoyed an excellent campaign in Germany.
At just 18 years old, the centre-back is first among Hamburg players for aerial duels won (149) and clearances (251) so far this season, as well as passes completed (1,274) on the other side of the ball.
Vuskovic’s form has seen him pick up his first four senior caps for Croatia, coming off the bench late for his debut against the Czech Republic in June before going the full 90 minutes against the Faroe Islands in December. The teenager has since played against South American giants Brazil and Colombia with distinction, including scoring his first international goal against the latter.
STAND-OUT STAT: Croatia have not won a World Cup knock-out stage game in normal time since the 1998 Quarter Final vs Germany – despite reaching the final in 2018 and the semi-final in 2022.
Set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Ante Budimir
- Free-kicks: Luka Modric
- Corners: Luka Modric
Croatia tactical analysis and formation
Many players will be almost certain of their starting spot under Zlatko Dalic, based on recent years. Veterans Modric, Perisic and Mateo Kovacic are among them, while Josko Gvardiol is also a nailed-on starter if he’s fit.
Around those, there is a talented group breaking through who will hope to complement the ‘golden generation’, including Sucic and Vuskovic — the latter surely a contender to feature heavily at the World Cup after his fine season with Hamburg
Modric turned 40 in September but is still playing 90 minutes week after week for AC Milan. However, Dalic often pushes him into the No.10 role nowadays rather than conducting from deep, allowing him to lower the physical workload and concentrate on unlocking opposition defences.
Alongside Modric, Perisic and Kramaric are deep into their 30s in the forward line, so as it has been for so long now, this Croatia team is built around elite craft on the ball, rather than blistering pace.
Get the latest Croatia World Cup goals, shots, tackle, assist stats and more here
Croatia manager analysis
There’s no limit to the credit Zlatko Dalic deserves for his time in charge of Croatia.
The former defensive midfielder has been in the national team dugout for over eight years now, during which time he’s guided the Blazers to a World Cup final and semi-final, the round of 16 at Euro 2020, and the final of the 2022/23 Uefa Nations League — only losing the latter against Spain on penalties.
That’s an incredible return for a nation of just 3.8 million people, which only became an independent country and Fifa member in the 1990s.
Nobody would bet against Croatia punching far above their weight again at this summer’s competition, especially given the experience and know-how Dalic brings to the role.
| Coach | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zlatko Dalic | Croatia | 105 | 59 | 20 | 26 | 208 | 141 | 56.19% |
Croatia World Cup FAQs
Have Croatia ever won the World Cup?
No, Croatia have never won the World Cup trophy. However, they have reached at least the semi-finals in three of their previous six appearances, including the last two, even reaching the final in 2018.
Where did Croatia finish in the last World Cup?
Croatia finished third in the 2022 World Cup. The Blazers finished second in Group F with one win against Canada and goalless draws against Morocco and Belgium. Croatia then beat Japan and Brazil on penalty shootouts, before falling 3-0 to Argentina in the semi-final. They did, however, win 2-1 when they faced Morocco again in the third-place playoff, earning a bronze medal.
Who will be Croatia captain at the World Cup?
Luka Modric now has 196 caps for Croatia, which is the fourth-most of any player all-time. The 40-year-old wears the armband for the Blazers, bringing colossal experience and quality to the role.
Who is Croatia’s top scorer at World Cups?
Davor Suker scored six goals at the 1998 World Cup in France as Croatia reached a shock semi-final on debut. That remained a national record until Ivan Perisic scored against Japan in the round of 16 at Qatar 2022, joining the former Arsenal and Real Madrid striker on six. Perisic has the chance to overtake Suker next summer, which will surely be his last World Cup.
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