Croatia arrived in the United States on Wednesday to settle in the Washington, D.C. area, where it will concentrate before its debut in the 2026 World Cup. Although its three group matches will be played in Arlington, Texas; Toronto and Philadelphia, the team decided to set up camp near the American capital.
The commitment to experience
The squad includes Luka Modric, 40, and Ivan Perisic, 37. Both were key players in the runners-up finish in 2018 and third place in 2022. There are also Mateo Kovacic and Andrej Kramaric, each with more than 100 caps. Striker Igor Matanovic, 23, highlighted the importance of having references like this:
“I think it’s a very important thing for any young player to have players like Luka, Perisic, Kovacic and Kramaric in the team. Seeing every little detail of what they do is a great privilege, and I try to learn as much as I can.”
Croatia entered the World Cup in 1998, after the separation of Yugoslavia, and has already reached the semifinals. Since then they have been third in 1998 and 2022, and a finalist in 2018, when they lost to France. Modric won the Ballon d’Or that year, the only time between 2008 and 2021 that the award did not go to Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. The midfielder has two games left to reach 200 with the national team; In April he suffered a fractured cheekbone, but scored a goal in the last friendly against Slovenia (2-1).
Has age taken its toll?
Coach Zlatko Dalic, the same one from 2018 and 2022, maintains the veteran block. The question is whether the physical wear and tear will weigh. Croatia will debut next Wednesday against England, a rematch of the 2018 semi-final. Midfielder Kristijan Jakic, who only played one minute in 2022, commented:
“England is a great football nation, the Premier League is the best in the world. I was surprised by their final call-up, some players were missing, but that speaks of their quality. They are very motivated to win.”
Jakic scored two goals in the tie and hopes for more minutes. “That minute was the highest point of my career. I will do my best for the team.” Croatia will have to renew itself at some point. The next few weeks will tell if the transition begins now.
