Croatia announce official squad for FIFA World Cup 2026 ft. Luka Modric
(Courtesy : Getty)
40-year-old Modric included in the roster.
Croatia’s official squad for the forthcoming FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States has been made public by Zlatko Dalić.
The national team has chosen a timeless midfielder with a wealth of expertise. Veteran names like Kovacic are joining Modric in the middle of the park. Given the abundance of youthful talent in the country, including Vuskovic, the manager had to make some difficult choices because he preferred something a little more established.
As the national team gets ready for another significant international competition, the Croatian manager selected both seasoned leaders and up-and-coming new talent.
The Vatreni have always performed beyond expectations in World Cups as they reached the final of 2018, followed by a semi-final appearance in the 2022 tournament.
Croatia will assemble on May 25 and start getting ready in Rijeka, where they will play a friendly match against Belgium on June 2.
On June 7, the team will play another warm-up match against Slovenia in Varaždin before leaving for Washington two days later.
They will then begin their World Cup campaign against one of the favourites of the competition, England, on June 18.
Croatia’s squad for FIFA World Cup 2026
Goalkeepers: Dominik Livaković (Dinamo), Dominik Kotarski (Copenhagen), Ivor Pandur (Hull City)
Defenders: Joško Gvardiol (Manchester City), Duje Ćaleta-Car (Real Sociedad), Josip Šutalo (Ajax), Josip Stanišić (Bayern Munich), Marin Pongračić (Fiorentina), Martin Erlić (Midtjylland), Luka Vušković (Hamburger SV)
Midfielders: Luka Modrić (Milan), Mateo Kovačić (Manchester City), Mario Pašalić (Atalanta), Nikola Vlašić (Torino), Luka Sučić (Real Sociedad), Martin Baturina (Como), Kristijan Jakić (Augsburg), Petar Sučić (Inter), Nikola Moro (Bologna), Toni Fruk (Rijeka)
Forwards: Ivan Perišić (PSV Eindhoven), Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim), Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Marco Pašalić (Orlando City), Petar Musa (FC Dallas), Igor Matanović (Freiburg)
Stand by players’ list
Stand-by: Lovro Majer, Franjo Ivanović, Dion Drena Beljo, Ivan Smolčić, Karlo Letica, Adrian Segečić, Luka Stojković.
Croatia’s World Cup 2026 group stage schedule
- June 17, 2026: England vs Croatia – AT&T Stadium (4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT)
- June 23, 2026: Panama vs Croatia – BMO Field (7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT)
- June 27, 2026: Croatia vs Ghana – Lincoln Financial Field (5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT)
Which World Cup group are Croatia in?
They are in Group L.
Has Luka Modric been called up?
Yes.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.