Croatia

Croatia will make their seventh FIFA World Cup appearance in 2026, a remarkable record for a nation of roughly 4 million people that only gained independence in 1991. The Vatreni's World Cup story is one of extraordinary overachievement. Their debut came at France 1998, where Davor Šuker won the Golden Boot and Croatia finished a stunning third place, defeating the Netherlands in the bronze medal match. After a period of early exits, Croatia's modern golden era began with the 2018 tournament in Russia, where Luka Modrić led the team to the final — a remarkable achievement that captured the world's imagination. They followed that with another semifinal appearance at Qatar 2022, defeating Brazil on penalties in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champions Argentina. Croatia's consistency across the past three tournaments is unmatched by any nation outside the traditional superpowers. The 2026 tournament represents the twilight of Modrić's international career and the final chapter of this extraordinary generation.

Luka Modrić of Real Madrid, now in his late thirties, remains Croatia's captain and spiritual heartbeat. The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner continues to defy age with his metronomic passing, tactical intelligence, and ability to control the tempo of matches at the highest level. Joško Gvardiol of Manchester City is the successor-in-waiting — the masked defender who starred at Qatar 2022 has developed into one of the world's premier center-backs, combining physical dominance with ball-playing ability. Mateo Kovačić of Manchester City provides the midfield link between Modrić's artistry and Croatia's defensive structure, with his press-resistant dribbling and intelligent passing. Andrej Kramarić of Hoffenheim remains the attacking focal point, a versatile forward with a proven goalscoring record. Goalkeeper Dominik Livaković became a national hero in Qatar for his penalty-saving heroics. Lovro Majer of Wolfsburg represents the creative future. Croatia's ability to regenerate talent while retaining its core identity is unmatched for a nation of its size.

Croatia approach 2026 facing the same question that has followed them since 2018: is this finally the end of the golden generation, or can they squeeze one more deep run from their veteran core? Modrić's final World Cup provides enormous emotional fuel, but Croatia cannot rely on sentiment alone. The squad's remarkable tournament resilience — surviving extra time and penalties repeatedly — speaks to a collective mentality forged through shared experience. The Round of 16 is the minimum expectation. The expanded format should not alter their path dramatically, as they will likely be a Pot 2 team. Croatia's technical quality, tactical discipline, and tournament pedigree make them dangerous even if the squad is aging. Much will depend on whether younger players like Gvardiol and Majer can assume greater creative and leadership burdens. The Vatreni have made a habit of defying expectations, and writing them off — as many did before 2018 and 2022 — has proven foolish. A quarterfinal berth is realistic, with a semifinal run possible if the draw opens favorably and Modrić can summon one final World Cup masterpiece.