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6
Appearances
1998
First appearance
Kit colours
Red / White / Blue
Croatia national football team
26 players called up for World Cup 2026.
Dominik Livakovic
Ivor Pandur
Dominik Kotarski
Josip Stanisic
Marin Pongracic
Josko Gvardiol
Duje Caleta-Car
Josip Sutalo
Kristijan Jakic
Luka Vuskovic
Martin Erlic
Nikola Moro
Mateo Kovacic
Luka Modric
Nikola Vlasic
Mario Pasalic
Martin Baturina
Petar Sucic
Toni Fruk
Luka Sucic
Andrej Kramaric
Ante Budimir
Ivan Perisic
Igor Matanovic
Marco Pasalic
Petar Musa
Announced: 2026-06-22
Sources: FIFA
Croatia arrive at World Cup 2026 in Group L, representing UEFA.
Zlatko Dalić leads the tactical plan, with the group phase defining whether CRO can build momentum into the knockout rounds.
Group rivals include England, Panama, Ghana. Every result can shift the path to the round of 32.
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in men's international football matches. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), the governing body for football in Croatia. It is a member of UEFA in Europe and FIFA in global competition. The team's colours reference two national symbols: the Croatian checkerboard and the country's tricolour. They are colloquially known as the Vatreni (Blazers) and the Kockasti. The Vatreni have qualified for every major tournament except UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. At the World Cup, Croatia has finished second once (2018) and third on two occasions, securing three World Cup medals. Davor Šuker won the Golden Shoe and the Silver Ball in 1998, while Luka Modrić won the Golden Ball in 2018 and the Bronze Ball in 2022. The team has reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Championship twice. They finished second in the UEFA Nations League in 2023. As of June 2026, Croatia maintains an Elo Rating of 1,912 with an all-time high of 2,012 recorded in 2023. Upon its admission into FIFA in 1994 ranked 125th, they ascended to third place with their debut 1998 World Cup campaign. This marked the fastest, most volatile ascension in FIFA ranking history, making them the youngest team to ever reach a Top 10 place in the World Ranking. Croatia is the second-smallest country by population and land mass to reach a World Cup final. At the World Cup, Croatia hold records for most penalty shoot-out played (4) and won (4) and most penalties saved in a shoot-out (3), among other team records. They were named FIFA Best Mover of the Year in 1994 and 1998, thus becoming the first national team to win the award twice.
See Croatia fixtures and simulate their possible path to the final.
A practical way to separate obvious contenders from teams whose bracket path can become dangerous in the expanded 48-team format.
A clear overview of how national teams reach the expanded 48-team World Cup and why qualification differs by confederation.
An explanation of group-stage ranking logic, football tiebreakers, and why goal difference can decide an entire tournament path.
How group rankings become knockout slots, why paths shift, and how the simulator advances teams round by round.