ESPN again sees Croatia as a team that defies predictions at the World Cup
In its preview of the 2026 World Cup, ESPN described Croatia with the vivid formulation that three things are inevitable in life: death, taxes and a good Croatian result at the World Cup. Such an assessment is not only an effective introduction to the tournament, but also sums up the status the national team has acquired over the past three decades, especially after the final in 2018 and third place in 2022. In its analysis, the American media outlet placed Croatia among the national teams expected to advance from the group, although it does not put it in the very narrow circle of favourites for the world title. In Group L, Croatia will play against England, Ghana and Panama, and the first match, according to the official schedule of FIFA and the Croatian Football Federation, awaits it on 17 June in Dallas against England. That encounter alone gives the group additional weight because it renews one of the better-known rivalries of the modern national-team era, marked by the 2018 World Cup semi-final in Russia.
ESPN's assessment comes at a time when Croatia is again being discussed as a national team that, at major tournaments, does not necessarily have to possess the broadest squad, the highest market values or the status of the main favourite, but does have a proven ability to survive the toughest stages of competition. According to UEFA data, Croatia were runners-up at the 2018 World Cup, and at the previous edition of the tournament they won bronze after victory in the third-place match. It is precisely that run of results that explains why Dalić's team is once again viewed with caution in international previews. In its overview of Group L, FIFA points out that the group brings together two national teams with a recent history of deep runs at World Cups: England, a former world champion, and Croatia, the 2018 finalist. Such a context explains why the very first match of the group is considered one of the most important duels of the opening phase of the tournament.
Group L brings a difficult start and a clear opportunity
Croatia will play in Group L against England, Panama and Ghana. According to the schedule published by FIFA, UEFA and the HNS, the Croatian national team first meets England in Dallas on 17 June, then Panama in Toronto on 24 June, and closes the group stage against Ghana in Philadelphia on 27 June. The schedule is demanding for Dalić's team because right at the start comes a clash with the nominally strongest opponent in the group, but at the same time it opens the possibility that a positive result against England could significantly change the tone of the entire tournament. In a system with 48 national teams, progress is not limited only to the two best sides in each group; according to FIFA rules, the eight best third-placed teams also advance to the knockout stage. This means that the matches against Ghana and Panama will also have double importance: bringing points for direct qualification, but also potentially deciding the ranking among third-placed teams.
Croatia's schedule in Group L:
- 17 June 2026 – England against Croatia, Dallas Stadium
- 24 June 2026 – Panama against Croatia, Toronto Stadium
- 27 June 2026 – Croatia against Ghana, Philadelphia Stadium
In sporting terms, the meeting with England attracts the greatest attention because it is a national team that is regularly mentioned in international previews among the candidates for the final stages. Croatia, however, has often found additional strength in such matches in recent years. The semi-final in Moscow in 2018 has remained a key reference point in the relationship between the two national teams, and later meetings further strengthened the impression that these are opponents who know each other well. For Croatia, the first duel will also be a test of physical preparation, defensive stability and the midfield's ability to control the tempo of the match against an opponent with pronounced individual quality in attack. For that reason, ESPN's assessment of Croatia as an awkward opponent is not only praise for the past, but also a warning to rivals that Dalić's team can rarely be reduced to an ordinary outsider.
A tournament identity built on continuity
Croatia's reputation at World Cups rests on results that cannot be explained by a single generation or one surprise. From the bronze in 1998, through the final in 2018 to third place in 2022, the national team has repeatedly shown that it can go far even when it is not counted among the world's most powerful sides before the tournament. In its profile of the Croatian national team for the 2026 World Cup, UEFA states that Croatia has missed only the 2010 World Cup since independence, while highlighting the final in Russia as its best result. Such continuity creates high expectations, but also pressure: it is no longer spoken of as coincidence, but as a standard that must be maintained. That is why ESPN's formulation about the “inevitability” of a Croatian result is in fact recognition that the national team has become a permanent part of serious tournament calculations.
At the centre of that continuity is still head coach Zlatko Dalić, who took over the national team in 2017 and, according to UEFA's overview, is leading it at a third consecutive World Cup. Dalić's tenure has been marked by successes that have reshaped the international perception of Croatia: the 2018 final, the 2022 bronze and constant competitiveness in elite company. His approach is often based on a stable core, a strong hierarchy in the dressing room and faith in players who have delivered results in the past. Ahead of the tournament in North America, that model is once again in the foreground, but with the necessity of a gradual generational adjustment. Some key players are entering the final phase of their international careers, while younger players are expected to take on a greater share of responsibility already now.
In an interview published by the HNS, Dalić said that the basic goal is to get through the group and that the national team would then go “step by step”. That formulation fits his previous way of leading tournaments: without major public promises, but with a clear belief that the team has the right to think about continuing the competition. At the same time, the head coach announced that the approach to matches could depend on the opponent, with a firmer and more cautious Croatia expected for the clash with England, while against Panama and Ghana the emphasis could be more on attacking play. Such flexibility will be especially important in a group in which the opponents' styles clearly differ. Croatia will have to combine experience, patience and efficiency, especially because in the new format every goal and every point can have additional value.
The squad list confirms reliance on experience and a proven core
The Croatian Football Federation announced that on 1 June 2026 the final squad list for the World Cup was submitted to FIFA, with no changes compared with the selection Zlatko Dalić presented in May. The list includes players who symbolise the continuity of the national team, among them Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, Ivan Perišić, Andrej Kramarić, Ante Budimir, Dominik Livaković and Joško Gvardiol. Alongside the final list, the HNS also published shirt numbers, and the captain's number ten is once again worn by Modrić. According to UEFA's profile, Modrić, at the age of 40, remains a key figure of the Croatian national team and is approaching the milestone of 200 appearances. His role is not limited only to organising play, but also includes managing rhythm, calming matches and maintaining the team's authority in moments of pressure.
Dalić's list shows that Croatia is not abandoning its recognisable structure, but also that it is relying on players who can bring more energy compared with previous tournaments. An important role is expected from Gvardiol in defence, and the head coach told the HNS that he hopes for his full fitness for the start of the championship. In midfield, alongside Modrić and Kovačić, players who should ensure intensity and mobility throughout the match are becoming increasingly important. In attack, competition is based on different profiles: Kramarić brings experience and finishing, Budimir strength in the penalty area, while Petar Musa and Igor Matanović offer different options. Such depth may not be comparable with the most expensive national teams in the world, but it gives Croatia the possibility to change the plan depending on the course of the match.
The qualifying performance further fuels optimism. According to UEFA, Croatia finished first in its group in European qualifying with a record of seven wins and one draw, with a goal difference of 26:4. The top scorer of the qualifying cycle was Andrej Kramarić with six goals. These data point to stability in both directions of play: Croatia created enough chances, but at the same time rarely allowed opponents to seriously threaten it. Still, the World Cup brings a different level of pressure, and a group with England, Ghana and Panama will require rapid adaptation. That is why the first week of the tournament will be crucial for assessing whether qualifying security can be transferred to the biggest stage.
England as a benchmark, Ghana and Panama as group traps
England enters the group as the opponent with the greatest international attention and the highest ambitions. In its preview of Group L, FIFA highlights England's status as a former world champion, while international media single out its duel with Croatia as a match that can direct the battle for first place. For Dalić's team, this means the tournament begins with a match in which a great deal can be gained, but also a match in which mistakes can be costly. Croatia has in the past known how to control big matches through possession and the rhythm of the midfield, but against England it will also have to withstand periods of pressure. It is precisely in such circumstances that the experience of players who have already gone through extra time, penalties and the final stages of major tournaments can be a significant advantage.
Ghana and Panama bring a different kind of challenge. Against such opponents, Croatia will probably more often have the role of a team that must take the initiative, and that is not always simpler than defending against favourites. In the expanded format of the World Cup, no match in the group can be viewed as a formality because the table can turn on goal difference, the number of goals scored and the ranking of third-placed teams. In his preview for the HNS, Dalić clearly indicated that the plan against Ghana and Panama could be more attack-oriented than against England. That implies greater responsibility for wide and attacking players, but also caution in transition, because national teams that are not favourites often seek their opportunity precisely in those situations. For Croatia, the key will be to translate reputation into a concrete rhythm, without underestimating anyone and without relying on past merits.
ESPN's assessment that Croatia is a very likely traveller to the knockout stage is based precisely on that combination of experience and tournament resilience. National teams that regularly go through stressful matches at World Cups often have an advantage that is not easy to measure statistically. In Russia and Qatar, Croatia showed several times that it can remain calm when a match goes into extra time, when play slows down or when the score requires patience. On the other hand, the 2026 World Cup brings a larger number of national teams, more travel and a different rhythm of competition, so energy management will be just as important as tactical preparation. That is especially important for a team that relies on a blend of veterans and younger players.
Why no one still wants to write Croatia off too early
Croatia is not in the position of a national team to which the title is assigned in advance as a realistic expectation, but it is in the category of opponents that favourites want to avoid at an awkward moment of the tournament. The reason is simple: its greatest strength is not only in individual names, but in the ability to turn high-risk matches into a contest of nerves, discipline and experience. ESPN's formulation about Croatia as an almost inevitable factor at World Cups therefore fits into the wider picture. Dalić's team is expected to be competitive, to advance from the group and, in the knockout stage if it gets there, once again to be an opponent that must be approached with full respect. Such a reputation is not accidental, but at every new tournament it must be confirmed anew.
Ahead of departure for the World Cup, Croatia finished its last home test with a 2:1 victory against Slovenia in Varaždin, according to data published by the HNS. Such matches cannot offer final answers, but they can reveal the state of competitive rhythm, the form of individuals and the depth of the squad. For Dalić, the important news is that the group begins only on 17 June, which leaves time for further fine-tuning and assessment of the physical condition of key players. The first opponent, however, does not allow a gradual warm-up. England will immediately show how ready Croatia is for a new major campaign, and the matches against Panama and Ghana will determine whether reputation can be turned into the points needed to continue the competition.
If Croatia secures progression, it will enter the part of the tournament in which its reputation carries additional weight. FIFA's new competition system introduces a round of 32, which means that the path to the very final stages requires more matches than before. That increases uncertainty, but also rewards teams that know how to protect a result, distribute their strength and recover quickly between duels. Croatia has shown exactly those qualities at the last two World Cups, which is why international media once again view it as a national team that must not be calculated superficially. ESPN's preview is only the latest example of that status: Croatia is not the biggest favourite, but it has proven enough times that at the World Cup it is often worth more than is estimated before the referee's first whistle.
Sources:
- ESPN – preview of groups, selected matches and predictions for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – official overview of Group L at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – official match schedule of the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – explanation of the group format, qualification and ranking criteria at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- UEFA – Croatia profile at the 2026 World Cup, history of appearances, schedule, qualifying performance and key team data (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – confirmation of Croatia's final squad list for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – Zlatko Dalić's statements on the group goal, match plan and players' condition ahead of the tournament (link)
- Croatian Football Federation – schedule, last preparatory match and data on national-team matches (link)