The Blazers booked their place at a fifth FIFA World Cup following a play-off win over Greece, having finished second behind Iceland in UEFA Group I.
Having dispatched Greece 4-1 in Zagreb, Zlatko Dalić’s men made no mistake in the return fixture as they now set their sights on causing a few upsets at the 2018 showpiece in Russia - much like they did 20 years ago in France.
Davor Šuker inspired Croatia to a third-place finish at the 1998 FIFA World Cup - scooped the tournament’s e Golden Boot accolade with six goals. His nation losing to the eventual champions in the semifinals before defeating a star-studded Netherlands outfit in the bronze medal match.
Captained by Real Madrid’s Luka Modrić, Croatia boast a team packed full of talented individuals.
Mario Mandžukić, Ivan Perišić, Ivan Rakitić and Mateo Kovačić post a considerable threat going forward, while the likes of Šime Vrsaljko, Vedran Ćorluka and Danijel Subašić offer valuable experience in defence.
Croatia shipped but four goals in 10 qualifying matches, and had eight different scorers in the group stages - something that should bode well for the Croatians come June next year.
Dejan Lovren(L) of Croatian and Harry Kane of England in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 semi final soccer match between Croatia and England in Moscow,Russia, 11 July 2018
epa06891812 Corentin Tolisso (C), Presnel Kimpembe (R) and Thomas Lemar (L) of France celebrate after the FIFA World Cup 2018 final between France and Croatia in Moscow, Russia, 15 July 2018. France won 4-2.
epa06891873 Players of France celebrate after winning the FIFA World Cup 2018 final between France and Croatia in Moscow, Russia, 15 July 2018.
epa06891125 Domagoj Vida (L) of Croatia and Antoine Griezmann of France in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 final between France and Croatia in Moscow, Russia, 15 July 2018.
epa06891130 Dejan Lovren (L) of Croatia and Olivier Giroud of France in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 final between France and Croatia in Moscow, Russia, 15 July 2018.
epa06891169 Ivan Rakitic (R) of Croatia and Paul Pogba of France in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 final between France and Croatia in Moscow, Russia, 15 July 2018.
epa06891235 Blaise Matuidi (L) of France and Sime Vrsaljko of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 final between France and Croatia in Moscow, Russia, 15 July 2018.
epa06891175 Sime Vrsaljko of Croatia (L) and Corentin Tolisso of France during the FIFA World Cup 2018 final between France and Croatia in Moscow, Russia, 15 July 2018.
epa06891360 Luka Modric (C) of Croatia vies for the ball with Ngolo Kante (L) and Blaise Matuidi of France during the FIFA World Cup 2018 final between France and Croatia in Moscow, Russia, 15 July 2018.
epa06872785 Players of Croatia celebrate winning the penalty shoutout of the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06872747 Luka Modric (2-R) of Croatia in action against Yury Gazinsky (R) of Russia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06872491 Roman Zobnin of Russia (R) and Luka Modric of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06872550 Mario Mandzukic (L) of Croatia in action against Roman Zobnin (R) of Russia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06872625 Dejan Lovren (L) of Croatia in action against Fedor Smolov (R) of Russia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
Luka Modric (R) of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06872442 Mario Mandzukic (R) of Croatia and Roman Zobnin of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06872477 Daler Kuzyaev (R) of Russia and Marcelo Brozovic of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Russia and Croatia in Sochi, Russia, 07 July 2018.
epa06856756 Players of Croatia react after the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Croatia and Denmark in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 01 July 2018.
Players of Croatia react after Luka Modric (C) scored the penalty shootout after the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Croatia and Denmark in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 01 July 2018.
(L-R) Andreas Christensen of Denmark and Ivan Strinic of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Croatia and Denmark in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06856271 Ivan Rakitic (L) of Croatia and Thomas Delaney of Denmark in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Croatia and Denmark in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06856279 Andreas Cornelius (L) of Denmark in action against Croatian players Domagoj Vida (C) and goalkeeper Danijel Subasic (R) during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Croatia and Denmark in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06856253 Ivan Rakitic of Croatia (R) and Thomas Delaney of Denmark in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Croatia and Denmark in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06856239 Dejan Lovren (C) of Croatia in action against Martin Braithwaite (R) of Denmark during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Croatia and Denmark in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06856254 Ivan Rakitic of Croatia (R) and Andreas Christensen of Denmark in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Croatia and Denmark in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 01 July 2018.
epa06842851 Ivan Perisic (C-R) of Croatia celebrates with his teammates after scoring the winning goal during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Iceland and Croatia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 26 June 2018. Croatia won 2-1.
epa06842672 Ivan Perisic (L) of Croatia in action against Ragnar Sigurdsson (R) of Iceland during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Iceland and Croatia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 26 June 2018.
epa06842690 Sverrir Ingason (L) of Iceland in action against Luka Modric (R) of Croatia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Iceland and Croatia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 26 June 2018.
epa06842801 Birkir Saevarsson (L) of Iceland in action against Milan Badelj (R) of Croatia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Iceland and Croatia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 26 June 2018.
Alfred Finnbogason (R) of Iceland in action against Milan Badelj (L) of Croatia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Iceland and Croatia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 26 June 2018.
epa06842623 Alfred Finnbogason of Iceland takes a shot on goal against goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic of Croatia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Iceland and Croatia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 26 June 2018.
Birkir Bjarnason (L) of Iceland in action against Marko Pjaca (R) of Croatia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Iceland and Croatia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 26 June 2018.
epa06842628 Birkir Bjarnason (C) of Iceland in action against Mateo Kovacic (L) of Croatia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Iceland and Croatia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 26 June 2018.
epa06842562 Johann Gudmundsson (up) of Iceland in action against Tin Jedvaj (bottom) of Croatia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Iceland and Croatia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 26 June 2018.
epa06842574 Hordur Magnusson (back) of Iceland in action against Marko Pjaca (front) of Croatia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Iceland and Croatia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 26 June 2018.
epa06829079 Domagoj Vida of Croatia (L) and Sime Vrsaljko of Croatia react after winning the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Argentina and Croatia in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 21 June 2018.
epa06829067 Players of Croatia celebrate the 0-3 goal during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Argentina and Croatia in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 21 June 2018.
epa06828971 Lionel Messi of Argentina (C) in action against Ivan Strinic of Croatia and Marcelo Brozovic of Croatia during to the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Argentina and Croatia in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 21 June 2018.
epa06828759 Domagoj Vida (L) of Croatia and Sergio Aguero (R) of Argentina in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Argentina and Croatia in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 21 June 2018.
epa06828779 Enzo Perez of Argentina (L) and Domagoj Vida of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Argentina and Croatia in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 21 June 2018.
epa06828811 Ante Rebic (R) of Croatia and Nicolas Tagliafico of Argentina in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Argentina and Croatia in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 21 June 2018.
epa06828815 Luka Modric (C) of Croatia and Marcos Acuna (R) of Argentina in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Argentina and Croatia in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 21 June 2018.
epa06828707 Ante Rebic (L) of Croatia and Marcos Acuna of Argentina in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Argentina and Croatia in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 21 June 2018.
epa06828736 Lionel Messi of Argentina (L) and Luka Modric of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Argentina and Croatia in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 21 June 2018.
Mario Mandzukic of Croatia (R), Luka Modric of Croatia (L) and Oghenekaro Etebo of Nigeria in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Croatia and Nigeria in Kaliningrad, Russia, 16 June 2018.
epa06814452 Luka Modric of Croatia scores the 2-0 with a penalty against goalkeeper Francis Uzoho of Nigeria during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Croatia and Nigeria in Kaliningrad, Russia, 16 June 2018.
epa06814456 Luka Modric (L) of Croatia celebrates with teammate Ante Rebic after scoring the 2-0 lead from the penalty spot during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Croatia and Nigeria in Kaliningrad, Russia, 16 June 2018.
epa06814460 Kelechi Iheanacho of Nigeria (R) and Domagoj Vida of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Croatia and Nigeria in Kaliningrad, Russia, 16 June 2018.
epa06814461 Kelechi Iheanacho of Nigeria (R) and Domagoj Vida of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Croatia and Nigeria in Kaliningrad, Russia, 16 June 2018.
epa06814251 Luka Modric (R) of Croatia and John Obi Mikel of Nigeria in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Croatia and Nigeria in Kaliningrad, Russia, 16 June 2018.
epa06814232 Ivan Strinic of Croatia (L) and Alex Iwobi of Nigeria in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Croatia and Nigeria in Kaliningrad, Russia, 16 June 2018.
epa06814246 Leon Balogun of Nigeria (L) and Andrej Kramaric of Croatia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Croatia and Nigeria in Kaliningrad, Russia, 16 June 2018.
epa06814250 Ivan Rakitic (R) of Croatia and Odion Ighalo of Nigeria in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Croatia and Nigeria in Kaliningrad, Russia, 16 June 2018.
epa06814251 Luka Modric (R) of Croatia and John Obi Mikel of Nigeria in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group D preliminary round soccer match between Croatia and Nigeria in Kaliningrad, Russia, 16 June 2018
Croatia
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