Croatia — 2026 World Cup Squad

A Group L draw alongside England, Ghana and Panama hands Vatreni a route they will fancy, though nothing about it is gentle. The platform, as ever, is that midfield. Mateo Kovačić glides through traffic from the Manchester City engine room, Petar Sučić brings genuine bite for Inter Milan, and threading it all together is Luka Modrić, still pulling strings at AC Milan with a passing range few can match.

Behind them sits the real jewel: Joško Gvardiol, City's left-sided defender, equally comfortable smothering a counter or carrying the ball sixty yards. Josip Stanišić gives Bayern-schooled balance at full-back, while Ivan Perišić, now at PSV, remains a relentless outlet who attacks the back post and tracks fifty metres without complaint. This is a side built to dominate possession, squeeze territory and punish you on the break.

The storyline writes itself. Modrić has dragged this nation to a World Cup final and a semi over successive cycles, and the generation around him knows the well cannot run forever. One more deep run would be the perfect send-off, with Sučić and company auditioning to inherit the armband.