Adriatic nation hoping to go one higher than 2018 last loss as clutch of stars readies for a probable final event bow.
Earlier World Cup appearances: 5
Titles: 0
Greatest end: Runners-up (2018)
World Cup file: W11 D4 L8
World Cup targets: 35
Greatest win: 4-0 vs Cameroon (2014)
Participant to look at: Luka Modric
Rating: 12
Group stage fixtures: Morocco (November 23), Canada (November 27), Belgium (December 1).
Small however mighty Croatia will hope to comply with up on their exceptional journey to the ultimate 4 years in the past and make inroads once more on the Qatar World Cup 2022.
This yr’s event will probably mark a final tilt at soccer’s most prestigious trophy for a number of key gamers, with the Adriatic nation anticipated to progress to not less than the start of the knockout section.
Earlier World Cup appearances
Croatia has competed in 5 World Cups for the reason that nation declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, starting with the 1998 event in France. They've featured in each event since, barring the 2010 version, held in South Africa, for which they did not qualify.
In 2018, the crew weaved its method strategy to a primary World Cup earlier than dropping to France.
Alongside the way in which, they picked up most factors within the group levels with wins over Argentina, Nigeria and Iceland. That was adopted by knockout wins towards Denmark and Russia on penalties, earlier than beating England in a hard-fought, semi-final victory secured in additional time.
Their journey to eventual runners-up represented the nation’s best-ever efficiency, outdoing a semi-final look in 1998 which noticed them once more overwhelmed by France.
Leads to the final 10 video games
Croatia enter the event in glorious kind, having lately topped their UEFA Nations League group – containing France, Denmark and Austria – following a confidence-boosting run of victories towards all three sides within the European competitors.
Key participant
Luka Modric will as soon as once more be essential to Croatia’s hopes of success.
The 37-year-old playmaker nonetheless pulls the strings for his crew, captaining the aspect and engineering its attacking play from central midfield.
His creativity threatens to pose issues for even the best-organised groups and will probably be pivotal for a aspect higher famend for its midfield and defensive sources than its ahead expertise.
His affect on the 2018 World Cup was huge. He scored two and registered one help in a flurry of high-class performances that noticed him recognised because the event’s greatest participant with the Golden Ball award.
A massively admired footballer, Modric was later the identical yr awarded the distinguished Ballon d’Or, the very best particular person accolade within the sport, and has additionally received an array of trophies at membership stage with Spanish giants Actual Madrid.
Abstract
Croatia is predicted to qualify with relative ease from Group F, alongside Belgium.
In keeping with the most recent Fifa rankings, the aspect is the twelfth greatest on the earth and their thrilling mix of skilled stars – together with Modric, winger Ivan Perisic and midfielder Mateo Kovacic – and promising kids is anticipated to show too robust for Canada and Morocco.
Croatia – a football-loving nation of 4 million folks by which the game has even been linked with the delivery of the nation itself – has a historical past of dumbfounding expectations and battling its well beyond extra illustrious rivals.
If the aspect can navigate its method by the round-of-16, momentum will collect for an unlikely, however definitely not unattainable, run at a primary World Cup title.
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