Statabet 26 47 days until kickoff
Croatia
Group L · Pot 2

Croatia
Vatreni.

2018 finalists and 2022 third place — the championship generation is departing. Modrić plays his final tournament at 40, alongside the risen Gvardiol, Sučić, Baturina and Vušković: a transitional squad searching for itself at a fifth consecutive World Cup.

Route · Group L
Wed · 17 JUNEngland — Croatia — · —Dallas · 15:00 Tue · 23 JUNPanama — Croatia — · —Toronto · 19:00 Sat · 27 JUNCroatia — Ghana — · —Philadelphia · 17:00
Fri 3 JULRound of 16 · L vs ?New York / NJ
National anthem
Lijepa naša domovino
0:00
Wikimedia
Full path · 7 stages

National team
calendar.

Matchday 1
17 JUN · WED · 15:00
away at England
Dallas · AT&T Stadium
Matchday 2
23 JUN · TUE · 19:00
away at Panama
Toronto · "BMO Field"
Matchday 3
27 JUN · SAT · 17:00
vs Ghana
Philadelphia · Lincoln Financial Field
Round of 16
28 JUN–3 JUL · FRI
if they qualify
Atlanta · Boston · Vancouver · Guadalajara and 12 more
Round of 16
4 JUL–7 JUL · TUE
if they qualify
Atlanta · Dallas · Kansas City · Los Angeles and 4 more
Quarterfinals
9 JUL–11 JUL · SAT
if they qualify
Atlanta · New York / NJ · San Francisco · Philadelphia
Semifinals
14 JUL–15 JUL · WED
if they qualify
Atlanta · Dallas
Final
19 JUL · SUN
if they qualify
New York / NJ

Group stage confirmed, playoffs — date range and potential venues. Playoff schedule to be finalized after Round of 16 draw.

6
Tournaments in history
0
No titles
#11
FIFA Ranking
41.0
Odds to win
Coaching staff

Dalić —
fifth ball.

Zlatko Dalić

Zlatko Dalić

Head Coach · Croatia · since 2017

Croatia's most successful coach in history — silver in Moscow and bronze in Doha. Contract extended until 2026 specifically for Modrić's final tournament. The same approach: ball control through a trio of veterans.

★ 2018 World Cup finalist ★ 2022 World Cup bronze 92 matches · 53 wins
Stars

Four players
to watch.

Luka Modrić

Luka Modrić

Midfielder · № 10 · 40 years old

Captain and legend — fourth World Cup in his career. At forty years old, he continues to dictate the pace for Croatia and Milan — the last dance of Vatreni.

File
Mateo Kovačić

Mateo Kovačić

Midfielder · № 8 · 31 years old

Technical wave-breaker of City's midfield. After Brozović's departure — the deep playmaker of the national team.

File
Joško Gvardiol

Joško Gvardiol

Defender · № 6 · 24 years old

The world's best left-footed centre-back (€75M). Leader of Croatia's and City's defence — athleticism and passing under pressure.

File
Petar Sučić

Petar Sučić

Midfielder · № 13 · 22 years old

Young Inter midfielder (€30M) — Modric's heir. Confident on the ball, possesses mature tactical intelligence.

File
Squad · preliminary list

Twenty-six players
under one roof.

Preliminary Final FIFA squad list — by May 27, 2026.

Goalkeepers

1
Dominik Livaković Dinamo Zagreb 31 years · 188 cm · €8.0M
12
Dominik Kotarski PAOK 25 years · 192 cm · €6.0M
23
Ivor Pandur Formia 26 years · 196 cm · €3.0M

Defenders

2
Josip Stanišić Bayer Leverkusen 26 years · 187 cm · €30M
3
Borna Sosa Crystal Palace 28 years · 186 cm · €10M
5
Duje Ćaleta-Car Lyon 29 years · 192 cm · €8.0M
6
Joško Gvardiol Manchester City 24 years · 185 cm · €75M
15
Martin Erlić Bologna 28 years · 191 cm · €10M
19
Luka Vushkovich Tottenham 19 years · 193 cm · €25M
21
Marin Pongračić Fiorentina 28 years · 191 cm · €12M
22
Ivan Smolchich Rijeka 25 years · 184 cm · €3.0M

Midfielders

10
Luka Modrić Milan 40 years · 172 cm · €5.0M
8
Mateo Kovačić Manchester City 31 years · 176 cm · €30M
4
Lovro Majer Stuttgart 28 years · 175 cm · €22M
7
Luka Sučić Real Sociedad 23 years · 184 cm · €30M
11
Nikola Vlašić Torino 28 years · 178 cm · €10M
13
Petar Sučić Inter 22 years · 187 cm · €30M
14
Martin Baturina Dinamo Zagreb 22 years · 180 cm · €20M
16
Nikola Moro Bologna 27 years · 188 cm · €8.0M

Forwards

9
Andrej Kramaric Hoffenheim 34 years · 177 cm · €6.0M
17
Ante Budimir Osasuna 34 years · 190 cm · €10M
18
Ivan Perisic PSV 37 years old · 187 cm · €4.0M
20
Marko Pašalić Orlando City 25 years · 184 cm · €8.0M
24
Igor Matanovich Eibar 22 years old · 191 cm · €8.0M
25
Petar Musa Benfica 27 years old · 192 cm · €20M
26
Mario Pašalić Atalanta 31 years old · 188 cm · €16M
History

Silver in Moscow
and bronze in Doha.

A small country of big finals.

6 tournaments, two consecutive semifinals (2018, 2022). One of four debutants from the 1990s to reach a World Cup final — the most consistent.

1998 ½ 2018 Final 2022 ½
2022Bronze3rd place — Morocco 2:1Semifinals
2018FinalFrance 2:4 in the final, MoscowFinal
2014GroupBrazil 1:3, Cameroon 4:0, Mexico 1:3Group
2002GroupMexico 0:1, Italy 2:1, Ecuador 0:1Group
1998Bronze3rd place — Netherlands 2:1, ParisSemifinals
Chants

Stadium chants
on matchday.

Real fan chants for the national team — original, phonetic in Russian, translation and context.

Vatreni
Vat-re-ni! Vat-re-ni!
[Vat-re-ni! Vat-re-ni!]
The Fiery Ones!

The team's nickname since 1996. The twelve-syllable chant became their calling card at the 2018 World Cup (they reached the final).

Lijepa naša
Lijepa naša domovino
[Ljepа nasha domovino]
Beautiful our homeland

The Croatian national anthem. Sung by the entire stadium, in red-and-white checkered scarves.