Why Croatia Are Better Than Anyone Wants To Admit At The 2026 World Cup
2018 finalists. 2022 third place. England open against them on June 17. Modrić at 40. Croatia keep being underrated. They keep proving everyone wrong.
Croatia have made the semi-finals at the last two World Cups. They've reached two finals across the last three tournaments. And every England fan you'll meet still talks about them like they're a free three points. They're not. They have never been.
This is not a story about nostalgia for Modrić's legs or weepy retirement tours. This is a story about a country of 3.9 million people that has quietly become one of the most consistently successful World Cup nations on the planet — and why 2026 will not suddenly be the year they finally crack.
Why Croatia Have Reached Two Of The Last Three World Cup Semi-Finals
It isn't luck. It isn't the draw. It's structure.
Zlatko Dalić builds compact, disciplined, midfield-anchored teams that don't lose their shape when they're behind on points or ahead on pressure. Croatia defend from the front, press intelligently, and then — crucially — they have the individual quality to hurt you on the transition. They are not a possession-for-possession's-sake team. They win the ball and use it simply. And when they need something different, they have Luka Modrić.
The 2018 run to the final required penalties against Denmark and Russia, extra time against England, and a comeback from behind against Croatia. You could call that fortune. Or you could note that Croatia were never knocked out in 90 minutes — they just kept finding a way. That is not luck. That is mentality.
The 2022 third-place finish was arguably even more impressive. That squad was older, more battle-worn, and still beat Brazil on penalties in the quarter-final before losing to Argentina — the eventual champions. Croatia have now eliminated three of the world's top six nations in knockout football in the last eight years.
How Modrić Will Decide The Croatia v England Group L Opener
Luka Modrić is 40 years old at this tournament. Write that sentence down.
He is playing at an age when most footballers are doing pre-season with their local five-a-side crew and wonderin