Croatia
CRO · UEFA
Head Coach
Zlatko Dalić
Zlatko Dalić leads Croatia into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, tasked with guiding the squad through a competitive Group L and beyond. The coaching staff has been preparing tactical approaches tailored to the expanded 48-team tournament format.
Group Stage Venue
Boston
Croatia will play their group stage matches in Boston. The 2026 World Cup is the first to be hosted across three nations — the United States, Mexico, and Canada — with matches spread across 16 world-class venues.
Squad (26 players)
Goalkeepers
Defenders
Midfielders
Forwards
Recent Form & Current State
Croatia qualified through UEFA qualification under Zlatko Dalić. Despite an aging core, they continue to overachieve relative to their population. Luka Modrić, at 40, may feature in his final major tournament alongside emerging young talents.
Form heading into a major tournament is often a key indicator of how far a team can progress. Croatia, currently ranked #11 in the FIFA World Rankings, will look to carry momentum from their recent qualifying and friendly campaigns into the group stage. Consistency in results and squad cohesion built during the qualification cycle will be vital assets. The UEFArepresentatives will be eager to demonstrate their quality on the world's biggest stage in 2026.
World Cup History
Croatia have appeared in six World Cups and reached the final in 2018, losing to France. They finished third in 2022 and 1998. For a nation of under four million people, their consistent World Cup success is remarkable.
The FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of international football, and Croatia's history in the competition provides important context for their 2026 campaign. With the tournament expanding to 48 teams for the first time, every nation faces both new opportunities and new challenges in the revamped group stage format featuring groups of four with the top two advancing to a 32-team knockout round. Croatia will aim to write a new chapter in their World Cup story at this historic edition of the tournament.
Group L Opponents
Croatia faces England and Panama and Ghana in Group L. The top two teams from each group advance to the Round of 32. Group dynamics, head-to-head records, and tactical matchups will all play a role in determining which teams progress from this stage.