Croatia

Group LFIFA Ranking #11UEFA

Coach

Zlatko Dalić

World Cup Appearances

Best Finish

Runners-up (2018)

Training Base

Alexandria, Virginia

Episcopal High School

Complete Team Guide

Luka Modrić left Real Madrid after 13 years, joined AC Milan, turned 40 and is now making his sixth World Cup appearance. Only Messi and Ronaldo have done the same in men's football. Zlatko Dalic's squad contains four players with 100 or more international caps (Modrić, Perišić, Kovačić, Kramarić) and a 20-year-old Hamburg defender being groomed as the next captain. Joško Gvardiol recovered from a fractured shin suffered in January 2026. Brothers Luka (Real Sociedad) and Petar (Inter Milan) Sučić are both selected. The opener is against England at AT&T Stadium on June 17. Group L: England, Ghana, Panama.

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Predict Croatia at World Cup 2026

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Croatia World Cup 2026 Group

What group is Croatia in for World Cup 2026? Croatia is in Group L at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Follow the group fixtures, standings, and knockout path from the Group L page.

Use the World Cup 2026 Predictor to predict Croatia group matches, compare their possible finish, and build a knockout bracket that includes their route through the tournament.

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Road to 2026

Croatia are back at the World Cup and FIFA's November 2025 qualifying coverage says they confirmed first place in Group L by coming from behind to beat the Faroe Islands 3-1 in Rijeka with a match to spare. At this point, that kind of resilience is not surprising. Croatia continue to look like a country that understands tournament football better than its size should allow.

Key Players

Joško Gvardiol

Defender

Manchester City

Gvardiol is now central to how Croatia defend at elite level and represents the defensive future of the side.

Luka Modrić

Midfielder

Real Madrid

Even late in his career, Modric remains one of the emotional and technical leaders around whom Croatia's identity still orbits.

Mateo Kovačić

Midfielder

Manchester City

Kovacic helps sustain control in midfield and remains a key part of how Croatia manage tempo in big matches.

Andrej Kramarić

Forward

Hoffenheim

Kramaric still gives Croatia proven final-third quality and a reliable goalscoring route in tighter games.

Marcelo Brozović

Midfielder

Al-Nassr

Brozovic adds the deeper midfield control and bite that keep Croatia from being overrun when matches become tense.

Official WC 2026 Squad

26 playersRead our squad analysis →

Goalkeepers

Dominik Livaković

Dinamo Zagreb

Dominik Kotarski

Kobenhavn

Ivor Pandur

Hull City

Defenders

DEF

Joško Gvardiol

Manchester City

DEF

Duje Ćaleta-Car

Real Sociedad

DEF

Josip Šutalo

Ajax

DEF

Josip Stanišić

Bayern Munich

DEF

Marin Pongračić

Fiorentina

DEF

Martin Erlić

Midtjylland

DEF

Luka Vušković

Hamburg

Midfielders

MID

Luka Modrić

AC Milan

MID

Mateo Kovačić

Manchester City

MID

Mario Pašalić

Atalanta

MID

Nikola Vlašić

Torino

MID

Luka Sučić

Real Sociedad

MID

Martin Baturina

Como

MID

Kristijan Jakić

Augsburg

MID

Petar Sučić

Inter Milan

MID

Nikola Moro

Bologna

MID

Toni Fruk

Rijeka

Attackers

ATT

Ivan Perišić

PSV Eindhoven

ATT

Andrej Kramarić

Hoffenheim

ATT

Ante Budimir

Osasuna

ATT

Marco Pašalić

Orlando City

ATT

Petar Musa

FC Dallas

ATT

Igor Matanović

Freiburg

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Follow Croatia in the World Cup 2026 bracket

Match Schedule

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Group Stage - Group L

2026-06-17

England

4 - 2

Croatia

AT&T Stadium, Arlington

Group Stage - Group L

2026-06-23

Panama

0 - 1

Croatia

BMO Field, Toronto

Group Stage - Group L

2026-06-27

Croatia

2 - 1

Ghana

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Round of 32

2026-07-02

Portugal

2 - 1

Croatia

BMO Field, Toronto