A small nation of only 3.8 million people is coming off its best-ever World Cup finish after its inspiring run to the final in Russia. In 2018, Croatia survived three extra-time clashes in the knockout stage, including penalty shootouts in the round of 16 and semifinals, before losing to France in the final.
But Zlatko Dalić’s side struggled mightily in the aftermath of its World Cup success. Croatia won only two of its eight matches in 2020 and failed to make it past the round of 16 at Euro 2020, losing to Spain in an extra-time thriller. But Croatia has lost only once since its Euro disappointment (a 3–0 loss to Austria in June in the UEFA Nations League), a run that includes wins against France and Denmark in the last few months.
While it has lost some of its star power with Mario Mandžukić and Ivan Rakitić retiring from international play, Croatia’s experience and dependable strength in midfield will give it another chance to make an inspiring run on the world’s biggest stage. A difficult group will make sure that Croatia doesn’t fall into the trap of complacency—or make it pay with an embarrassing group stage exit.
