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Croatia face England on home turf Saturday, October 3rd, for their third match of the first round of Nations League games. After being thrashed by the World Champions, albeit having fielded a B-team, the Vatreni will look to get a positive result in one of their next two home matches. Defence Pongračić, Smolčić, and even Šutalo were far too weak to handle the Spanish … [Read more...] about The CroatianSports.com Recommended Starting XI For Bilić vs. England

Croatia faces World Champions Spain on Tuesday, September 29th, in Seville following a shaky 2-1 victory over Czechia. Defence Saturday's match was truly a tale of two halves for the back four. The first half was remarkable -- one of the most stable defensive halves I've seen Croatia play in a long time. Gvardiol and Vušković cleaned up very well at the back and the … [Read more...] about The CroatianSports.com Recommended Starting XI For Bilić vs. Spain

The new era of Croatian football under manager Slaven Bilić begins Saturday, September 26th, in the Nations League opener against Czechia. It's an exciting time with many changes: our beautiful new Adidas kits, a revamped coaching staff (with a set-piece coach!), and a blank slate ready for a fresh footballing identity under Bilić. It's no secret that a real challenge lies … [Read more...] about The CroatianSports.com Recommended Starting XI For Bilić vs. Czechia

Ahead of the Slaven Bilić era, the CroatiaSports.com team ranked the 10 current Croatian internationals outside the senior squad who are the most likely, most deserving, or most anticipated to earn a call-up. The criteria were simple: any Croatian player not currently in the squad was eligible, with rankings based on a combination of likelihood, positional need, … [Read more...] about Top 10 Next Croatia Call-Ups

Croatia kick off their knockout phase with a clash against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the Round of 32. Nikola Vlašić's late winner against Ghana ironically sent Croatia into the tougher side of the bracket, with potential matchups against Spain and France should the Vatreni get past Portugal. Defence With Joško Gvardiol's lingering injury, Ivan Perišić has proven to … [Read more...] about The CroatianSports.com Recommended Starting XI vs. Portugal In The Round of 32

Zlatko Dalić is set to make a series of puzzling changes for the match against Panama. Clearly, he has different takeaways from the England game than most fans do, so let's break this down. The shift back to a more natural 4-back is refreshing. But this is where the good news ends. Star young defender Luka Vušković is set to be DROPPED for the match against Panama. Is this … [Read more...] about Gospodine Dalić… What Are You Doing???

Croatia opens the World Cup group stage in Group L against their toughest opponent, Thomas Tuchel's England, on Wednesday, June 17th at 4 pm ET in Dallas. The Vatreni are coming off two mediocre friendly performances, having used two different formations. The big question is whether Dalić opts for the reliable four-back, or was he truthful in his press conferences and lines up … [Read more...] about The CroatianSports.com Recommended Starting XI For Dalić vs. England In The 2026 FIFA World Cup Opener

Croatia faces Slovenia in Varaždin on June 7th at 2:45 pm ET for their second pre-tournament friendly following a rusty 2-0 defeat to a mediocre Belgian side. Dalić needs to urge the boys to play with more urgency and sharper decision-making before the World Cup begins, as Tuesday's game was one full of mistakes. Croatiansports.com believes Dalić must roll out a near-starting … [Read more...] about The CroatianSports.com Recommended Starting XI For Dalić vs. Slovenia

The 2026 World Cup is officially just around the corner! With Zlatko Dalić having officially announced the 26-man roster today, the Vatreni gear up to face Belgium, on Tuesday June 2nd at 12 p.m. EST, in the first of their two pre-tournament friendlies. While many raise concerns over the omissions of Adrian Segečić, Luka Stojković, or Dion Drena Beljo, this is the squad we … [Read more...] about The CroatianSports.com Recommended Starting XI For Dalić vs. Belgium