Croatia has announced its full 26-player squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It’s the seventh time the country has qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Croatia’s best performance at the FIFA World Cup came in 2018. The Croatians reached the final but lost to France. In the most recent World Cup, they finished third, matching their performance from their debut tournament in 1998.
Head coach Zlatko Dalić announced the full squad earlier today. The captain and absolute leader of the team is Luka Modrić. The 40-year-old midfielder is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in soccer history. With 196 caps, he holds the record for the most matches played for Croatia. Other important key players in the squad are veterans Ivan Perišić, Mario Pašalić & Andrej Kramarić. Manchester City defender Joško Gvardiol suffered a broken shin earlier this year but is ready in time for the World Cup.
Full Squad Croatia For The 2026 FIFA World Cup
Goalkeepers: Dominik Livaković (Dinamo Zagreb), 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 (AC Milan), Mateo Kovačić (Manchester City), Mario Pašalić (Atalanta), Nikola Vlašić (Torino), Luka Sučić (Real Sociedad), Martin Baturina (Como), Kristijan Jakić (Augsburg), Petar Sučić (Inter Milan), Nikola Moro (Bologna), Toni Fruk (Rijeka)
Forwards: Ivan Perišić (PSV Eindhoven), Andrej Kramarić (TSG Hoffenheim), Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Marco Pašalić (Orlando City), Petar Musa (FC Dallas), Igor Matanović (SC Freiburg)
Qualification For The 2026 FIFA World Cup
Croatia qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in dominant fashion. In a group with Czechia, the Faroe Islands, Montenegro, and Gibraltar, “Kockasti” won seven of the total eight matches. Only the away game in Czechia ended in a goalless draw. Croatia topped the group with 26 goals in ten games and conceded only four.
On November 14, 2025, Croatia qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by defeating the Faroe Islands 3-1 in front of their home crowd in Rijeka. The Croatian goals came from Joško Gvardiol, Petar Musa & Nikola Vlašić. Striker Andrej Kramarić was the top goalscorer with six goals during the qualifiers for the Croatian team.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Croatia will play its matches in Group L. The Croatians open their World Cup on June 17 in Arlington, Texas, where they will take on 1966 champions England. Five days later, they take on Panama in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For their final group stage match, they travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to take on Ghana on June 27. The two group winners and the eight best third-placed teams from each group will advance to the next stage.
Croatia Schedule
- June 17 – England (4 pm EST)
- June 23 – Panama (7 pm EST)
- June 27 – Ghana (5 pm EST)
Croatia Announces Squad for 2026 FIFA World Cup