Croatia
The Road to the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Croatia qualified for Russia 2018 via the play-offs, after a tough group campaign saw them win six of their 10 games but draw two and lose two. The Croatians drew against Turkey and also suffered a defeat, while they also lost against Iceland and dropped points at home against Finland after conceding a last-minute equalizer. All of this allowed Iceland to qualify two points clear at the top of the group, while Croatia faced a battle away in Ukraine in the last group game to secure a play-off spot .Ultimately they claimed a 2-0 win in Kiev, and were then drawn against Greece in the play-offs. Croatia won comfortably 4-1 on aggregate, and secured their place at Russia 2018.
Stars
Croatia have some world-class players already plying their trade in championships across Spain, Italy and Germany, but also have plenty of emerging talent.
The pick of the team is captain Luka Modric. Even though he scored just once during qualifying, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of the 32-year-old Real Madrid midfielder to his country. Modric is the brains of the team and is the key to facilitating attacks. He has spent five years at Spanish giants Real, where he has won numerous honors.
Ivan Rakitic, Modric’s club-level rival who plays for Barcelona, is also crucial to the national team. The Barca midfield man could have played for Switzerland, and even spent some time playing for the Swiss at youth level, but opted for the homeland of his ancestors.
Mario Mandzukic is the biggest source of goals for the team; qualifying saw him rise to second in the country’s all-time top scorer list. He has netted 30 times for the national team, and will aim to add to that total in Russia. His shooting range and aerial dominance mark him out as a threat, as deployed to good effect at club team Juventus.
Croatia’s rivals will also be wary of Ivan Perisic, who he will pose a threat on the left wing. His defense-splitting passes can create opportunities for his teammates, and he’s also an excellent counterattacking outlet.
Coach
Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic spent seven years in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, before he was called on to help his national team in October 2017. Ante Cacic, who led the team throughout Euro 2016 and most of the 2018 qualifying campaign, was fired right before the winner-takes-all game with Ukraine over the team’s poor performances.
Dalic provided a steady hand and became a hero for Croatian fans in the space of just three games. He now faces the challenge of making his team’s participation at the World Cup a success, and on that path he will be aided by Ivica Olic, whose playing career notably took in spells at CSKA Moscow and Bayern Munich.
Past Achievements
Until 1991, Croatia was part of Yugoslavia and supplied players to its national team. After the country dissolved, Croatia was quick to be recognized by FIFA, although it took another year for UEFA to approve membership. That fact precluded Croatia from qualifying for the 1994 World Cup. However, at the next World Cup in France, the team led by Davor Suker made a major impact.
The debutants were drawn in the same group as Argentina, Japan and Jamaica. Despite suffering defeat to obvious favorites Argentina, Croatia went through to the knockout stages, and much to everyone’s surprise got as far as the semi-finals. They succeeded in defeating Romania and routed Germany 3-0 in the quarter-finals. They came up just short against hosts and eventual winners France, but took third place by defeating the Netherlands in the play-offs.
Croatia’s more recent World Cup outings have failed to match that early high. The team took part in three World Cups – 2002, 2006, 2014 – but failed to qualify from the group stage. The closest they came to the knockout stages was at Germany 2006, where they had to beat Australia in the last group game. However, they were denied victory in the last minute.