{"id":1449796,"date":"2026-05-18T13:57:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T12:57:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?post_type=news&#038;p=1449796"},"modified":"2026-06-04T13:05:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T12:05:16","slug":"croatia-world-cup-2026-squad-18-05-26","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup\/croatia-world-cup-2026-squad-18-05-26\/","title":{"rendered":"Croatia World Cup 2026 squad: Vatreni select 26-man squad as they bid for another strong showing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/stats\/clubs\/croatia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Croatia<\/a> have named their 26-man squad ahead of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/world-cup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2026 World Cup<\/a> as they look to emulate their performances in 2018 and 2022.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Croatia made the semi-final in each of the last two World Cups and were led by Zlatko Dalic for both. He remains in charge for the 2026 edition and has named a 26-man squad that he hopes will go one step further this time around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s strong representation from the English leagues, with Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic of Manchester City in the squad alongside Ivor Pandur of Hull City.<\/p>\n\n\n    <div class=\"sq-toplist\">\n        <div class=\"sq-toplist__items\">\n\t\t\t    <div\n            class=\"sq-toplist__item\"\n            data-entity-id=\"1381273\"\n            data-offer-id=\"1381470\"\n    >\n\t\t        <div class=\"sq-toplist__item-container\">\n            <div class=\"sq-toplist__offer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/en\/go\/bet365?q=gb-all-top-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-brand=\"bet365\"data-placement=\"in-content-single-toplist\" data-rating=\"9.5\" data-position=\"1\" data-placement-details=\"logo\" class=\"sq-toplist__logo\" style=\"background:#01644a\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2025\/04\/29162841\/bet365.svg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Bet365 Logo\" \/><\/a>\t\t\t\t                <div class=\"sq-toplist__offer-box\">\n                    <span class=\"sq-toplist__bookmaker\">\n                        <a href=\"\/en\/go\/bet365?q=gb-all-top-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-brand=\"bet365\"data-placement=\"in-content-single-toplist\" data-rating=\"9.5\" data-position=\"1\" data-placement-details=\"brand_name\">bet365<\/a>                    <\/span>\n                    <span class=\"sq-toplist__offer-title is-tablet-visible\">\n                        <a href=\"\/en\/go\/bet365?q=gb-all-top-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-brand=\"bet365\"data-placement=\"in-content-single-toplist\" data-rating=\"9.5\" data-position=\"1\" data-placement-details=\"offer\">Use code SQUAWKA365 and bet \u00a310 to get \u00a330 in free bets<\/a>                    <\/span>\n                <\/div>\n                <span class=\"sq-toplist__offer-title is-mobile-visible\">\n                    <a href=\"\/en\/go\/bet365?q=gb-all-top-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-brand=\"bet365\"data-placement=\"in-content-single-toplist\" data-rating=\"9.5\" data-position=\"1\" data-placement-details=\"offer\">Use code SQUAWKA365 and bet \u00a310 to get \u00a330 in free bets<\/a>                <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"sq-toplist__buttons\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/en\/go\/bet365?q=gb-all-top-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-brand=\"bet365\"data-placement=\"in-content-single-toplist\" data-rating=\"9.5\" data-position=\"1\" data-placement-details=\"cta\" class=\"sq-btn sq-btn--secondary sq-btn--full\">Claim Offer<\/a>                <div class=\"sq-rating\">\n                    <span class=\"sq-rating__text\">Our Score<\/span>\n                    <span class=\"sq-rating__value\">9.5<\/span>\n                <\/div>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/bet365-review\/\" class=\"sq-review-link\">\n                    <span>Read our review<\/span>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/div>\n\t\t\t        <ul class=\"sq-toplist__features\">\n                            <li class=\"sq-toplist__features-item\">Bet \u00a310 get \u00a330<\/li>\n                            <li class=\"sq-toplist__features-item\">Excellent Football Betting Options<\/li>\n                            <li class=\"sq-toplist__features-item\">Extensive Bet-Builder<\/li>\n                            <li class=\"sq-toplist__features-item\">Multi-Award Winning Bookmaker<\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n                <\/div>\n\t\t            <div class=\"sq-toplist__item-tc\"><p>New customers can sign up using bonus code SQUAWKA365, bet \u00a310 and get \u00a330 in Free Bets. 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This code is for marketing and tracking purposes only. #Ad.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-croatia-world-cup-2026-squad\">Croatia World Cup 2026 squad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Squad number<\/th><th>Player<\/th><th>Position<\/th><th>Domestic club<\/th><th>International caps<\/th><th>International goals<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1<\/td><td>Dominik Livakovic<\/td><td>GK<\/td><td>Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)<\/td><td>73<\/td><td>0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>23<\/td><td>Dominik Kotarski<\/td><td>GK<\/td><td>Copenhagen (Denmark)<\/td><td>3<\/td><td>0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>12<\/td><td>Ivor Pandur<\/td><td>GK<\/td><td>Hull City (England)<\/td><td>0<\/td><td>0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4<\/td><td>Jo\u0161ko Gvardiol<\/td><td>DF<\/td><td>Man City (England)<\/td><td>46<\/td><td>4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td>Duje Caleta-Car<\/td><td>DF<\/td><td>Real Sociedad (Spain)<\/td><td>38<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>Josip Sutalo<\/td><td>DF<\/td><td>Ajax (Netherlands)<\/td><td>31<\/td><td>0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>Josip Stanisic<\/td><td>DF<\/td><td>Bayern Munich (Germany)<\/td><td>29<\/td><td>0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td>Marin Pongracic<\/td><td>DF<\/td><td>Fiorentina (Italy)<\/td><td>18<\/td><td>0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>25<\/td><td>Martin Erlic<\/td><td>DF<\/td><td>Midtjylland (Denmark)<\/td><td>12<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>22<\/td><td>Luka Vuskovic<\/td><td>DF<\/td><td>Hamburg (Germany)<\/td><td>4<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10<\/td><td>Luka Modric<\/td><td>MF<\/td><td>Milan (Italy)<\/td><td>196<\/td><td>28<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8<\/td><td>Mateo Kovacic<\/td><td>MF<\/td><td>Man City (England)<\/td><td>111<\/td><td>5<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15<\/td><td>Mario Pasalic<\/td><td>MF<\/td><td>Atalanta (Italy)<\/td><td>83<\/td><td>11<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>13<\/td><td>Nikola Vlasic<\/td><td>MF<\/td><td>Torino (Italy)<\/td><td>61<\/td><td>10<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>21<\/td><td>Luka Sucic<\/td><td>MF<\/td><td>Real Sociedad (Spain)<\/td><td>19<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>16<\/td><td>Martin Baturina<\/td><td>MF<\/td><td>Como (Italy)<\/td><td>17<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>18<\/td><td>Kristijan Jakic<\/td><td>MF<\/td><td>Augsburg (Germany)<\/td><td>16<\/td><td>2<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>17<\/td><td>Petar Sucic<\/td><td>MF<\/td><td>Inter (Italy)<\/td><td>15<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7<\/td><td>Nikola Moro<\/td><td>MF<\/td><td>Bologna (Italy)<\/td><td>9<\/td><td>0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>19<\/td><td>Toni Fruk<\/td><td>MF<\/td><td>Rijeka (Croatia)<\/td><td>7<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>14<\/td><td>Ivan Perisic<\/td><td>FW<\/td><td>PSV (Netherlands)<\/td><td>152<\/td><td>38<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>9<\/td><td>Andrej Kramaric<\/td><td>FW<\/td><td>Hoffenheim (Germany)<\/td><td>114<\/td><td>36<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>11<\/td><td>Ante Budimir<\/td><td>FW<\/td><td>Osasuna (Spain)<\/td><td>36<\/td><td>6<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>24<\/td><td>Marco Pasalic<\/td><td>FW<\/td><td>Orlando City (United States)<\/td><td>13<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>26<\/td><td>Petar Musa<\/td><td>FW<\/td><td>FC Dallas (United States)<\/td><td>10<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>20<\/td><td>Igor Matanovic<\/td><td>FW<\/td><td>Freiburg (Germany)<\/td><td>8<\/td><td>2<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Croatian squad is packed full of top-level talent, with the vast majority of the squad playing their domestic football in Europe&#8217;s top five leagues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The likes of Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic bring experience to the squad, with almost 350 caps between them but the squad runs much deeper, with a wealth of options available to Dalic across the pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Read more: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/croatia-world-cup-2026-odds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Croatia World Cup 2026 odds<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-three-players-to-look-out-for-this-summer\">Three players to look out for this summer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-luka-modric-milan\">Luka Modric (Milan)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Luka Modric, at 40, is poised to lead Croatia in what is widely anticipated to be his final major international tournament at the 2026 World Cup. Despite a recent facial fracture, he is expected to be fit, demonstrating his enduring commitment and resilience. His unparalleled big-game experience, honed over numerous European Championships and World Cups, will be invaluable for the Croatian squad. Modric&#8217;s presence as the team&#8217;s heartbeat and orchestrator in midfield remains critical, guiding a new generation while aiming for another deep run in the tournament. His leadership and tactical acumen will be pivotal in Croatia&#8217;s quest for glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ante-budimir-osasuna\">Ante Budimir (Osasuna)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ante Budimir is set to be Croatia&#8217;s formidable impact player off the bench at the World Cup. Nicknamed the &#8220;Late Bloomer,&#8221; Budimir is a reliable Plan B for Croatia, capable of changing a game&#8217;s rhythm with his physical presence and opportunism. Standing at 6&#8217;3&#8243;, his aerial prowess and ability to punish defensive complacency make him a significant threat, especially against tiring opposition. With a knack for goal-scoring, as evidenced by his recent performances, Budimir offers a crucial alternative to unlock stubborn defences and provide a different attacking dimension when needed most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-josko-gvardiol-manchester-city\">Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Josko Gvardiol is set to be a cornerstone of Croatia&#8217;s defense at the 2026 World Cup. Despite a recent injury concern, the versatile defender is expected to be fully fit, providing a significant boost to the squad. Gvardiol&#8217;s ability to play both as a center-back and a full-back, combined with his strength, pace, and tactical intelligence, makes him indispensable. His defensive solidity and capacity to initiate attacks from the back will be crucial for Croatia&#8217;s aspirations, anchoring their backline and contributing to their overall strategy. His presence ensures a robust and dynamic defensive unit for the Vatreni.<\/p>\n\n\n<hr \/>\r\n<h2><strong>Bet \u00a310 &amp; Get \u00a330 in Free Bets with Bet365<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>Not signed up to bet365 yet? 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Time limits and T&amp;Cs apply.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<hr \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-croatia-world-cup-2026-fixtures\">Croatia World Cup 2026 fixtures<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"vcsw-sports-widgets shortcode vcsw-sports-fixtures\" id=\"sports_fixtures-1\"><script type=\"application\/json\">{\"sports_type\":\"football\",\"competition\":\"\",\"participant_id\":\"665db6e3e93e306d7f469eb3\",\"start_date\":\"\",\"widget_type\":\"fixtures\",\"results\":false,\"groups\":\"\",\"stage\":\"\"}<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/world-cup-2026-betting-tips-predictions\/\"><strong>World Cup predictions &amp; tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/outright-markets\/world-cup-outright-odds\/\"><strong>World Cup outright odds <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup-2026-fixtures-results\/\"><b>World Cup fixtures &amp; results<\/b><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/world-cup-2026-betting-offers\/\"><b>World Cup free bets<\/b><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n    <div class=\"sq-top-stories\">\n        <h2 class=\"sq-heading-line\">Squawka Suggests<\/h2>\n        <div class=\"sq-cards\">\n\t\t\t                    <article class=\"sq-card\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup\/united-states-belgium-bet-builder-07-07-26\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/07\/03224838\/predictions_article-16x9-2026-07-03T224830.603-1024x576.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"United States vs Belgium Bet 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                  <\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                            <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                                <span class=\"sq-card__label\">News<\/span>\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup\/portugal-world-cup-2026-route-to-the-final\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                    <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">Portugal Route to the World Cup Final: Next match and tactical analysis<\/h2>\n                                <\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/andrewfrancis\/\"\n                                   class=\"sq-card__link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Andy Francis                                <\/a>\n                                <time class=\"sq-card__label\">4 hours ago<\/time>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/article>\n\t\t\t\t                    <article class=\"sq-card\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                            <div class=\"sq-card__thumbnail\">\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup\/spain-world-cup-2026-route-to-the-final\/\" class=\"sq-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/06\/10195121\/3EN0751-1-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Spain World Cup 2026: Route to the final, next match and tactical analysis\" \/>                                <\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                        <div class=\"sq-card__content\">\n                            <div class=\"sq-card__meta\">\n                                <span class=\"sq-card__label\">News<\/span>\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/world-cup\/spain-world-cup-2026-route-to-the-final\/\" class=\"sq-card__title\">\n                                    <h2 class=\"sq-card__title-text\">Spain World Cup 2026: Route to the final, next match and tactical analysis<\/h2>\n                                <\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"sq-card__excerpt\">\n                                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/author\/andrewfrancis\/\"\n                                   class=\"sq-card__link\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Andy Francis                                <\/a>\n                                <time class=\"sq-card__label\">4 hours ago<\/time>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                    <\/article>\n\t\t\t\t        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Croatia have named their 26-man squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup as they look to emulate their performances in 2018 and 2022. Croatia made the semi-final in each of the last two World Cups and were led by Zlatko Dalic for both. He remains in charge for the 2026 edition and has named a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":427,"featured_media":1449798,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Croatia have named their 26-man squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup as they look to emulate their performances in 2018 and 2022.","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"news-category":[27626],"class_list":["post-1449796","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-category-world-cup"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":true},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Croatia World Cup 2026 squad: Vatreni select 26-man squad as they bid for another strong showing | Squawka | EN<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Croatia have 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