Under the guidance of coach Zlatko Dalic and the enduring presence of captain Luka Modric at the age of 40, Croatia is no longer a phenomenon but has established itself as a leading force. The combination of seasoned veterans and the youthful energy of a new generation of talent promises to help the Croatian team continue to be a formidable opponent for any "big team".
Croatia's schedule in Group L - World Cup 2026
In Group L, Croatia (ranked 11th in FIFA) will face a formidable challenge in England (ranked 4th in FIFA) in their opening match. The other two opponents, Panama (ranked 33rd in FIFA) and Ghana (ranked 74th in FIFA), also promise to deliver exciting matches.
Match Day |
Match times (Vietnam time) |
Match pair |
June 18, 2026 |
03:00 |
Croatia vs England |
June 24, 2026 |
06:00 |
Croatia vs Panama |
June 28, 2026 |
04:00 |
Croatia vs Ghana |
Coach Zlatko Dalic and the team's rejuvenation efforts.
Coach Zlatko Dalic is preparing for his third consecutive World Cup as head coach. Having taken charge in 2017, he has transformed Croatia into a team that consistently pushes boundaries.
Looking ahead to the 2026 tournament, the 59-year-old strategist not only relies on the old core players like Modric, Perisic, and Kramaric, but also boldly introduces new talents. Names like young center-back Luka Vuskovic, along with Igor Matanovic, Franjo Ivanovic, and Marco Pasalic, are expected to create a stronger Croatia in North America.
Dominating the European regional qualifiers.
Croatia convincingly secured their place in the 2026 World Cup by finishing top of Group L in the UEFA qualifiers one matchday early. Coach Dalic's team completely dominated with a record of 7 wins and 1 draw, scoring a remarkable 26 goals in just 8 matches.
The crushing 7-0 victories against Gibraltar and 5-1 against the Czech Republic are testament to their diverse attacking strength. Andrej Kramaric is the main striker with 6 goals, closely followed by Ivan Perisic with 4 goals.
Croatia's achievements in various World Cups:
- Federation: UEFA
- Position in the FIFA rankings (April 2026): 11
- Best achievement: Runner-up (2018)
- First time participating: France 1998
- Number of times participated: 7 times (1998, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026)
- Overall record: Played 30 matches, won 13, drew 8, lost 9; scored 43 goals and conceded 33 goals.
Glorious chapters of history: From 1998 to 2022
First-time miracle (1998): In their first appearance as an independent nation, Croatia caused a shock by defeating Germany 3-0 in the quarter-finals and finishing third after beating the Netherlands 2-1. In addition, Davor Suker won the Golden Boot with 6 goals.
The pinnacle in Russia (2018): Croatia went all the way to the final after overcoming England in the semi-finals thanks to Mandzukic's "golden" goal in extra time. Although they lost to France 2-4 in the final match, this remains the greatest achievement in the history of Croatian football.
Confirmation in Qatar (2022): History repeated itself as Croatia reached the semi-finals after eliminating title contender Brazil on penalties. They closed out the tournament with a 2-1 victory over Morocco to finish in the top 3 of the world for the third time in history.
Croatian record holders
Luka Modric - A living legend: He holds the record for 19 appearances in 4 World Cups. If he continues to play in North America, Modric will be close to the records of Messi and Ronaldo for the number of matches in this tournament.
Ivan Perisic - The Killer of Big Tournaments: With 6 goals, Perisic has the opportunity to claim the title of Croatia's greatest ever World Cup scorer if he continues to perform well in this tournament.
With the combination of coach Zlatko Dalic's sharp tactical thinking and the superb technique of veterans like Luka Modric, Croatia is heading to the 2026 World Cup with a single goal: to change the color of their medal and once again assert their position on the world football map.