Croatia
Small nation, finalists, aging stars
A country of 4M, two World Cup finals — and 40-year-old Modric's clock is loudly ticking.
Watchability4/5
Drama5/5
Star power4/5
Title shot2/5
Team rating
82TEAM
- Attack78
- Midfield86
- Defense80
Next matches
- Next upvs PanamaBMO Field, TorontoJun 23
- vs GhanaLincoln Financial Field, PhiladelphiaJun 27
The read
Croatia, a country of barely four million people, has produced one of football's great generations — a group of friends who grew up together and reached two World Cup finals. Its architect, the 40-year-old midfielder Luka Modrić, just joined AC Milan for what is almost certainly his final World Cup. They lost a wild 4-2 opener to England, and now the clock is loudly ticking on an entire era.
The fan’s readA country of 4 million and one of the great footballing generations — two finals built around friends who grew up together, with 40-year-old Modric conducting almost certainly his final World Cup.
The cast
- Zlatko DalićCroatia's most successful manager ever; led them to the 2018 World Cup final and 2022 third placemanager
- Luka Modric ★At 40, the architect of Croatia's golden age opened what's almost certainly his last World Cup with a defeat.ClubAC Milan
- Mateo KovacicModric gets the poetry; he does the labor that makes it possible.ClubManchester City
- Josko GvardiolA 24-year-old defender who is genuinely fun to watch — the future, starting now.ClubManchester City
- Ivan PerisicCroatia's all-time leading scorer at 37, back for a fourth World Cup.ClubPSV Eindhoven
