Dalić announces World Cup squad: Modrić leads 26 players, Majer and Beljo remain on standby
Croatia national football team head coach Zlatko Dalić announced on 18 May 2026 a preliminary list of 26 players he is primarily counting on for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America. The Croatian Football Federation announced that the list includes three goalkeepers, seven defenders, ten midfielders and six forwards, along with seven footballers on standby. The list brings a combination of national-team continuity and several younger solutions, and after the announcement Dalić stressed that changes are still possible because players from the standby list can enter the main list. Compared with some of the names that had been mentioned in public in recent days, the statuses of Lovro Majer, Dion Drena Beljo, Franjo Ivanović and Luka Stojković, who for now have remained outside the main group, attract the most attention. According to the HNS announcement, the national team will begin preparations on 25 May in Rijeka, and before crossing the Atlantic it will play two friendly matches.
List of players by position lines
According to the official announcement of the Croatian Football Federation, the goalkeepers are Dominik Livaković from Dinamo, Dominik Kotarski from Copenhagen and Ivor Pandur from Hull City. In defence are Joško Gvardiol from Manchester City, Duje Ćaleta-Car from Real Sociedad, Josip Šutalo from Ajax, Josip Stanišić from Bayern, Marin Pongračić from Fiorentina, Martin Erlić from Midtjylland and Luka Vušković from HSV. The midfield consists of Luka Modrić from Milan, Mateo Kovačić from Manchester City, Mario Pašalić from Atalanta, Nikola Vlašić from Torino, Luka Sučić from Real Sociedad, Martin Baturina from Como, Kristijan Jakić from Augsburg, Petar Sučić from Inter, Nikola Moro from Bologna and Toni Fruk from Rijeka. In attack are Ivan Perišić from PSV, Andrej Kramarić from Hoffenheim, Ante Budimir from Osasuna, Marco Pašalić from Orlando City, Petar Musa from Dallas and Igor Matanović from Freiburg. On standby are Lovro Majer from Wolfsburg, Franjo Ivanović from Benfica, Dion Drena Beljo from Dinamo, Ivan Smolčić from Como, Karlo Letica from Lausanne, Adrian Segečić from Portsmouth and Luka Stojković from Dinamo.
Dalić counts on continuity, but the door is not closed
Dalić, according to the HNS announcement, said that he stands behind the list together with his staff and that he had no reason to change the squad too much. The head coach also emphasized that the preliminary nature of the list leaves room for changes, especially if during preparations it turns out that someone is not fully ready or if one of the players on standby additionally imposes himself. Such wording is especially important because HNS states that Croatia gathers on 25 May, which leaves the coaching staff a period to assess the players' health condition, form and tactical suitability. Speaking about the selection method, Dalić pointed out that he does not observe the national team through a single moment, but through a longer cycle, which explains why some players with great experience kept their place despite certain doubts. In that context, the list can be read as an attempt to preserve the core that carried Croatia in previous competitive cycles, but also as a gradual opening of space for players who should have an increasingly larger role in the coming years.
One of the main topics after the announcement was competition in attack. Dalić, according to HNS, said about Dion Drena Beljo that he was very close to the main list, but that strong competition proved decisive. The head coach pointed out that Andrej Kramarić and Ante Budimir are unquestionable, while Petar Musa and Igor Matanović entered the circle of forwards because of their club form and appearances during previous national-team actions. For Musa, he stated that he plays very well in MLS and that he was particularly convincing in March, while for Matanović he emphasized Bundesliga experience, his goalscoring effect at the club and his appearance in the Europa League final. Such an explanation shows that in the attacking section the head coach did not choose only according to the player's profile, but also according to current competitive readiness and fitting into the broader plan for the group-stage matches.
Majer on standby, Modrić still a key figure
Lovro Majer is one of the most prominent names on the standby list. Dalić, according to HNS, explained that Majer had been injured for a long time and that at his club he has problems with continuity of appearances, so it was precisely his club status that was decisive in him not being among the 26 selected players. The head coach also emphasized that he was sorry because of such a decision, which shows that Majer has not fallen out of the broader national-team plan, but is at this moment placed in the reserve group. Similar caution is also visible with players who are coming after injuries or periods without a competitive rhythm, because Dalić states that they will need to be carefully monitored through training sessions and preparation matches. The preparations in Rijeka, and then the matches against Belgium and Slovenia, will give a clearer answer as to how ready each player is for the tournament rhythm.
Special attention remains focused on Luka Modrić, the captain and the most experienced player on the list. Dalić, according to HNS, said that he does not doubt Modrić and that he means exceptionally much to the national team when he is in form. The head coach added that Modrić himself can decide whether he will wear a protective mask, but emphasized that rest did him good after a demanding season. In midfield, alongside Modrić remain Mateo Kovačić and Mario Pašalić, and there are also the younger or middle generation consisting of Petar Sučić, Luka Sučić, Martin Baturina, Nikola Moro and Toni Fruk. Such an arrangement gives Dalić the possibility of different combinations, from a firmer block with more midfielders to more offensive variants against opponents against whom Croatia will probably have more possession.
Gvardiol's condition and Vušković's rise important for defence
In the defensive part of the list, the most important news is the inclusion of Joško Gvardiol, with a note that his condition will be monitored. Dalić, according to HNS, said that he hopes Gvardiol will be ready and important for the national team, and that the preparation matches should help him welcome the World Cup in full form. The head coach added that Gvardiol had been absent for six months, but that he believes in his work ethic and hopes for his appearance in the starting line-up already against England. Such an assessment reveals how important Gvardiol is for the balance of the defence, not only as a centre-back or left-back, but also as a player who enables Croatia to build out differently from the back line. His readiness could directly influence whether Croatia will play with four or three in defence in individual matches.
Dalić also spoke specifically about Luka Vušković, whom he described as a player who will carry the national team for the next ten or so years. According to the HNS announcement, the head coach highlighted Vušković's excellent season at HSV and announced that against stronger opponents he will try to play with three in defence. As the first such test, he mentioned the friendly match against Belgium, which means that the coaching staff could already during preparations test a system adapted to the encounter with England. The defensive selection also includes Stanišić, Šutalo, Pongračić, Ćaleta-Car and Erlić, so Croatia has enough options for different formations. In tournament football, the depth of the back line is often decisive because injuries, cards and the demands of different opponents can quickly change plans.
Preparations begin in Rijeka, Belgium and Slovenia follow
HNS announced that the Croatian national team will gather on 25 May and prepare in Rijeka, where it will play a friendly match against Belgium on 2 June. After that comes the departure for Varaždin, where a duel with Slovenia is scheduled for 7 June, and two days later the trip to Washington is planned. This schedule shows that the final part of preparations will be short, but structured through two tests against European opponents of different profiles. Belgium should serve as a test against a team of high individual quality, while Slovenia will be the final home test before travelling to another continent. For Dalić's staff, these matches will not be only result checks, but also opportunities to make the final decisions on formation, physical condition and distribution of roles.
According to HNS, Croatia will play its first match at the World Cup on 17 June against England in Dallas, then on 23 June against Panama in Toronto, and the third group match follows on 27 June against Ghana in Philadelphia. FIFA states in the official schedule that Croatia, England, Panama and Ghana are in Group L, and that the first round of that group is played on 17 June. Such a schedule brings the toughest test right at the beginning, because the match with England will probably have a major influence on the psychology and position in the group. Dalić, according to HNS, announced that Croatia will probably be firmer and more defensive against England, with more midfielders, while the approach against Panama and Ghana should be more attack-oriented. This is also the clearest signal that the head coach does not plan the same model of play for all three matches, but tactical adaptation to the opponent.
Group L brings different challenges
Dalić, according to HNS, highlighted progression from the group as the basic objective, with the message that after that they go step by step. He marked England as a national team that wants to be world champion, but warned that neither Panama nor Ghana is any less challenging. Such an assessment seems cautious, but it is in line with the experience of major tournaments, where differences in reputation often do not mean a secure advantage on the pitch. Against England, Croatia will have to control the space between the lines and reduce the number of lost balls in dangerous zones, while in the remaining two encounters it will probably have to take more initiative. That is precisely why a list with a large number of midfielders and several different forward profiles can be important for changes of rhythm during matches.
FIFA has confirmed for the 2026 edition an expanded format with 48 national teams, 12 groups and a total of 104 matches. The tournament is held from 11 June to 19 July in 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America. According to FIFA's official data, the final will be played at New York New Jersey Stadium on 19 July, while matches will also be played in cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, Mexico City, Dallas, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Seattle and Miami. The expansion of the tournament increases the number of participants, but also brings an additional knockout-stage round, which means that the path toward the final stages will be longer than at previous World Cups. For Croatia, this means that the first threshold is progression from the group, but after that follows an additional obstacle before a possible entry into the final phases of the competition.
The list shows a balance of experience and new energy
Dalić's list once again relies on players who have long been part of the national team, but it also clearly shows a generational expansion. Livaković, Modrić, Kovačić, Perišić, Kramarić, Budimir and Mario Pašalić provide the experience of major matches, while Gvardiol, Vušković, Petar Sučić, Baturina, Fruk, Matanović and Marco Pašalić bring different energy and perspective. The head coach, according to HNS, emphasized that the progress of players such as Baturina and Sučić gives him optimism, which explains why midfield is the broadest line on the list. In a tournament context, that can be an advantage because Croatia traditionally builds its game through possession, control of rhythm and decision-making in the middle of the pitch. At the same time, the role of the forwards will be important because against lower-ranked opponents Croatia will have to turn possession into chances and goals more concretely.
Standby calls remain an important part of the story because Dalić has not closed the possibility of changes. Stojković, according to the head coach's words relayed by HNS, was one of the biggest dilemmas and is on a good path toward the national team. Beljo and Ivanović represent additional attacking options, Majer brings quality in midfield if he regains continuity, and Letica, Smolčić and Segečić cover positions that can become important in case of injuries or tactical corrections. Before the start of the tournament, the coaching staff will have to assess not only individual quality, but also the balance of the dressing room, physical readiness and the ability of players to accept different roles in a short period. The final value of this list will therefore not be measured only by names, but by how functional the group will be when Croatia's appearance against England begins in Dallas on 17 June.
Sources:
- Croatian Football Federation – official announcement of the preliminary list of players for the 2026 World Cup and the schedule of Croatia's group matches (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – Zlatko Dalić's statements after the list announcement, explanations of decisions and objectives for the World Cup (link)
- FIFA – official match schedule, competition format and data on the 2026 World Cup (link)