The story
Croatia shouldn't exist as a football superpower. A nation of under four million people, born from the wreckage of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, they turned up at their first World Cup in 1998 and immediately finished third. That's not a fluke — that's a national character. The Vatreni, the Blazers, have always burned brightest when the world expects least of them.
The 2018 tournament in Russia was their defining miracle: five consecutive knockout matches decided by extra time or penalties, a squad running on fumes and sheer bloody-mindedness all the way to the final in Moscow. They lost to France, but Luka Modrić walked away with the Ballon d'Or and a place in football folklore. Then, somehow, they went to Qatar in 2022 as supposed veterans past their peak and finished third again. This team simply refuses to go quietly.
Now they arrive in North America for 2026 with Modrić at 40 years old, chasing one final fairy tale. Gvardiol is a colossus at the back, Kovačić still pulls strings with silky elegance in midfield, and Croatia's collective defensive intelligence remains elite. Whether this is a last dance or a genuine deep run, nobody who loves football should look away.
What to watch
Watch for Modrić conducting his midfield orchestra one last time on the world's biggest stage — every time he touches the ball, you're witnessing footballing history in real time. Croatia also have a gift for penalty shootouts that borders on the supernatural, so pray your favourite team doesn't face them when it matters most.
X-factor
Joško Gvardiol, still only in his mid-twenties, is the kind of ball-playing defender who can single-handedly suffocate a tournament's most dangerous forwards and then stride out and start attacks like a quarterback.
Croatia will be written off at least once, probably twice, then quietly materialise in the quarterfinals looking absolutely unsurprised.
Their fixtures
Modrić's Last Dance Leaves Panama Breathless
An ageing Croatian maestro turned back the clock in Philadelphia, pulling strings like it was 2018 all over again. Panama believed they belonged — and for one glorious half-hour, they almost proved it.
Eight Years Later, England Want Revenge
Eight years ago Croatia broke English hearts in a World Cup semi-final, and now they've been handed the same group at the same tournament. Football doesn't do coincidences — it does storylines.