Croatia must put a rocky World Cup qualification campaign, a late coach change and off the field controversies to rest if they are to replicate anything like their 1998 performance. Going into yet another big tournament, the world is now very familiar with the quality Croatia posses specifically in the midfield. Their come from behind victory over Spain at Euro 2016 was an illustration of what they can do to any team on a given day. They will need similar performances in Russia from the go, especially in their group they were drawn in. Nigeria, Iceland and Argentina are all tough game but nothing a team of Croatia's quality cannot handle. 

 

In Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic Croatia posses two of the world's most gifted midfielders who start for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. Marcelo Brozovic and Real Madrid's Matro Kovacic are two players who will be assumed to also play big parts in Croatia's midfield efforts. There is a lot of firepower up front as Ivan Persic is in form and will be eager to show the world why he is so sought after. Juventus' Mario Mandzukic is a top-level forward who has won a Champions League and multiple Italian and German League titles. Nikola Kalinic and Andrej Kramaric are both strikers who certainly know where the goal is. Ante Rebric is fresh off a breakout performance in the German Cup final against Bayern Munich. It appears that Croatian legend and soon to be new Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovač has finally gotten the best out of Rebric who saw a red card for a horrific tackle last time out in Brazil. 

 

Luckily for Croatia Dejan Lovren has ended his beef with the federation and has recovered his form to finish the season well for Liverpool. Sime Vrsaljko has improved since his move to Madrid two years and is ready to make the right back and not the left back spot his own since the retirement of former captain and all-time leading cap holder Darijo Srna.

 

 

Head Coach: Zlatko Dalić

 

Population: 4 million

 

Appearances: 5

 

Best: 3rd 1998

 

How they Qualified: Iceland and Croatia just can't seem to shake each other. Ever since being drawn in the same World Cup qualifying group in 2005, Croatia vs Iceland has been a key encounter. The two faced off against each other for a place in the 2014 tournament in Brazil and were both drawn in the same group to qualify for Russia. Iceland never was able to beat Croatians until this qualification cycle. A 1-0 loss to Iceland, coupled with a frustrating loss to Turkey left Croatia needing a playoff victory against hapless a Greece to qualify this time around. We all had a little laugh when both Croatia and Iceland were drawn once more in the same group for the 2018 World Cup Finals.

 

Star Players: Luka Modric(Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitic(Barcelona), Mario Mandzukic(Juventus), Ivan Perisic(Inter Milan), Dejan Lovren(Liverpool)

 

Wildcard: Marco Brozovic-Opponents will study and know all about Croatia's world-class midfielders which might leave the lesser known Brozovic free to affect the game which he is more than capable of. Iceland for one should know all about Brozovic, not just by the fact they have faced him several times but it was his double strike that was the difference the last time Croatia beat the plucky Islanders. 

 

Legend:Davor Šuker 

GOALKEEPERS

 

Danijel Subasic-Monaco(France)

 

Lovre Kalinic-Gent(Belgium)

 

Dominik Livakovic-Dinamo Zagreb(Croatia)

 

Karlo Letica-Hajduk Split(Croatia)

 

 

DEFENDERS

​

 

Vedran Corluka-Lokomotiv Moscow(Russia)

 

Domagoj Vida-Besiktas(Turkey)

 

Ivan Strinic-Sampdoria(Italy)

 

Dejan Lovren-Liverpool(England)

 

Sime Vrsaljko-Atletico Madrid(Spain)

 

Josip Pivaric-Dynamo Kyiv(Ukraine)

 

Tin Jedvav-Bayer Leverkusen(Germany)

 

Matej Mitrovic-Club Brugge(Belgium)

 

Borna Barisic (Osijek)

 

Zoran Nizic-Hajduk Split(Croatia)

 

Duje Caleta-Car-Red Bull Salzburg(Austria)

 

Borna Sosa-Dinamo Zagreb(Croatia)

 

 

 

 

MIDFIELDERS

 

 

Luka Modric-Real Madrid(Spain)

 

Mateo Kovacic-Real Madrid(Spain)

 

Ivan Rakitic-Barcelona(Spain)

 

Milan Badelj-Fiorentina(italy) 

 

Marcelo Brozovic-Inter Milan(Italy)

 

Marko Rog-Napoli(italy)

 

Mario Pasalic-Chelsea(England)

 

Filip Bradaric-Hajduk Split(Croatia)

 

 

 

FoRWARDS

 

 

Mario Mandzukic-Juventus(Italy) 

 

Ivan Perisic-Inter Milan(Italy)

 

Nikola Kalinic-AC Milan(Italy)

 

Andrej Kramaric -Hoffenheim(Germany)

 

Marko Pjaca-Schalke(Germany)

 

Ante Rebic-Eintracht Frankfurt(GErmany)

 

Duje Cop-Standard Liege(BElgium)

 

Ivan Santini-Caen(FRance)--