Luka Modrić left Real Madrid after 13 years, joined AC Milan, turned 40 and is now making his sixth World Cup appearance — a number shared in men's football only with Messi and Ronaldo. Zlatko Dalic has named a squad that includes four players with more than 100 international caps and a 20-year-old Hamburg defender who Dalic says is the future of Croatian football. Brothers Luka (Real Sociedad) and Petar (Inter Milan) Sučić are both selected, representing two stages of the same midfield transition. Joško Gvardiol has recovered from a fractured shin to make the tournament. The opening match is against England at AT&T Stadium on June 17. Croatia's farewell tour and generational handover are happening at the same time.
How Croatia Qualified — Seven Wins From Eight, Kramarić in Form and November Confirmation
Croatia topped their UEFA qualifying group comfortably, winning 7 of their 8 matches with only a goalless draw in Czechia preventing a perfect record. They clinched qualification on November 14, 2025, with a 3-1 home win over the Faroe Islands — a night on which Andrej Kramarić added to his group-leading total of 6 qualifying goals.
The campaign showed Dalic's system working smoothly through the midfield core of Modrić, Kovačić and Luka Sučić, with Kramarić consistently finishing the chances created above him. Croatia's defensive organisation has been the side's hallmark since 2018 and it held firm through qualifying — only 7 goals conceded in 8 games.
The contrast with Euro 2024 was sharp. Croatia were eliminated at that tournament's group stage for the first time since 2012, losing 3-0 to Spain and then conceding a 98th-minute equalizer that sent Italy through at their expense. The World Cup qualifying form suggested Dalic had learned from those experiences.
Key Players to Watch
The Official Squad: Modrić's Sixth World Cup, Four Centurions and the Sučić Brothers
The squad's most remarkable fact is simple: Croatia have four players with more than 100 international caps in the same group. Modrić (40), Perišić (37), Kovačić (32) and Kramarić (34) form a senior quartet whose combined international experience is almost unmatched in the tournament. Each of them is likely making their last World Cup. The emotional weight of that reality shapes everything Dalic says about this squad.
Two of the most interesting names are Luka Sučić (Real Sociedad) and Petar Sučić (Inter Milan) — brothers, both midfielders, representing Croatia at the same World Cup for the first time. Luka at Real Sociedad has developed into one of Croatia's most technically complete midfielders. Petar at Inter Milan is younger, more direct, and represents the generation below. Having both Sučić brothers selected is one of Croatian football's more unusual and appealing subplots.
Joško Gvardiol's fitness is the single most consequential squad question. The Manchester City defender suffered a fractured right shin in January 2026 — an injury that initially looked tournament-ending. He has been included after returning to training, but his match sharpness after months out will need to be carefully managed by Dalic, particularly against England in the opener.
Group L: England, Ghana and Panama — A Path Forward If Gvardiol Holds and Modrić Fires
Croatia have been drawn in Group L alongside England, Ghana and Panama. Their opening fixture on June 17 is against England at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas — a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final, where Modrić's Croatia eliminated England 2-1 in extra time. That result is still in every English supporter's memory. It will be in every Croatian player's mind too.
Ghana and Panama are the group's more accessible opponents, though neither should be underestimated at a World Cup. The key for Croatia is to be competitive against England and take maximum points against Ghana and Panama. A realistic outcome is second place in the group and a last-32 tie. Croatia at a World Cup are almost always more dangerous than their draw suggests — but this ageing squad, with Gvardiol returning from injury, will need everything to align.
Group L teams:
World Cup History
One to Watch — Luka Modrić
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