Croatia’s run to the 2018 World Cup final, after reaching the semi-finals in France in 1998, set a new standard for them as an independent nation.
With a squad full of UEFA Champions League talent, Zlatko Dalic’s side finally clicked together on the world stage four years ago, beating Denmark, Russia and England, before losing to France in the title decider.
However, they have since regrouped despite their last-16 exit at Euro 2020, and Dalic will be looking to coax another big tournament performance from his veteran stars in Qatar.
Captained by Real Madrid star Luka Modric, Croatia will boast one of the most experienced squads at the World Cup, and Dalic will once again rely on his vital knowledge of how to navigate their pace.
Croatia World Cup Squad 2022
Head coach Dalyk announced his final squad on November 9. The most notable inclusion was that of midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, who had been an injury doubt in the weeks leading up to the tournament.
He suffered a hamstring problem in late September and missed all of October. After returning to club action with Inter in time to play a handful of minutes in the November 6 derby d’Italia against Juventus, he has been included in the final squad.
Defender Domagoz Vida has also been in the news as an injury doubt but he looks fine and looks set to pass 100 caps for his country in Qatar.
The most important name on the list is Luka Modric, the captain and talisman for the 2018 finals. This is yet to be confirmed, but it is highly likely that this will be his last World Cup at the age of 37. He is joined in the squad by fellow veteran Ivan Perisic.
Southampton’s Duje Kaleta-Carr and Rangers’ Antonio Colak did not make it to the finals and are the most surprising omissions from the list. Milan striker Ante Rebic was a mainstay of that 2018 run in Russia, but was not part of the initial list from which Dalic selected his final 26.
Croatia begin their challenge in Qatar by facing Morocco on November 23, but first they play a final friendly against fellow World Cup hopefuls Saudi Arabia on November 16.
| Position | No. | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
| GK | 1 | Dominik Livakovic | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 27 | 34 |
| GK | 12 | Ivo Grbic | Atletico Madrid (SPA) | 26 | 2 |
| GK | 23 | Ivica Ivusic | Osijek (CRO) | 27 | 5 |
| DEF | 2 | Josip Stanisic | Bayern Munich (GER) | 22 | 7 |
| DEF | 3 | Borna Barisic | Rangers (SCO) | 29 | 28 |
| DEF | 5 | Martin Erlic | Sassuolo (ITA) | 24 | 4 |
| DEF | 6 | Dejan Lovren | Zenit St Petersburg (ITA) | 33 | 72 |
| DEF | 19 | Borna Sosa | VfB Stuttgart (GER) | 24 | 8 |
| DEF | 20 | Josko Gvardiol | RB Leipzig (GER) | 20 | 12 |
| DEF | 21 | Domagoj Vida | AEK Athens (GRE) | 33 | 100 |
| DEF | 22 | Josip Juranovic | Celtic (SCO) | 27 | 21 |
| DEF | 24 | Josip Sutalo | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 22 | 3 |
| MID | 7 | Lovro Majer | Rennes (FRA) | 24 | 11 |
| MID | 8 | Mateo Kovacic | Chelsea (ENG) | 28 | 84 |
| MID | 10 | Luka Modric | Real Madrid (SPA) | 37 | 155 |
| MID | 25 | Luka Sucic | RB Salzburg (AUS) | 20 | 4 |
| MID | 11 | Marcelo Brozovic | Inter Milan (ITA) | 29 | 77 |
| MID | 13 | Nikola Vlasic | Torino (ITA) | 25 | 42 |
| MID | 15 | Mario Pasalic | Atalanta (ITA) | 27 | 43 |
| MID | 26 | Kristijan Jakic | Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) | 25 | 4 |
| FWD | 4 | Ivan Perisic | Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) | 33 | 116 |
| FWD | 9 | Andrej Kramaric | Hoffenheim (GER) | 31 | 74 |
| FWD | 14 | Marko Livaja | Hadjuk Split (CRO) | 29 | 14 |
| FWD | 16 | Bruno Petkovic | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 28 | 23 |
| FWD | 17 | Ante Budimir | Osasuna (ENG) | 31 | 15 |
| FWD | 18 | Mislav Orsic | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 29 | 21 |
Croatia’s Best Players, Strengths and Weaknesses
Croatia’s main weapon in Qatar will be their incredible level of experience on the domestic and international scene, with Modric and Perisic both boasting more than 100 caps.
Dalic will again rely on the same names that fueled their run to the finals in Russia, with Modric and Perisic alongside Dejan Lovren, Vida and Brozovic.
STARS
Old faces are still the star names within the Croatia squad, with Modric becoming a key man for club and country in midfield.
Some other veteran stars have seen their stars dip slightly since 2018, but the rise of Josco Guardiola offers a new option at the back, with the RB Leipzig star already reportedly on Chelsea’s transfer radar.
POWERS
As well as retaining his veterans, Dalic has also dealt positively with key international retirements by promoting from within and scouring Europe for talent.
With Scotland-based duo Josip Juranovic and Borna Barisic effectively stepping in for Sime Versaljko and Ivan Strinic, Guardiola could start ahead of Vida as a resurgence in defense.
WEAKNESS
However, despite managing to replace key names at the back, Dalic lacks a formidable replacement for 2018 hero Mario Mandzukic and Rebic, with Andrzej Kramaric shouldering the main goalscoring responsibilities.