Croatia World Cup Squad 2026: Full 26-Player Roster
The Croatia World Cup Squad 2026 is Zlatko Dalić’s 26 man roster for the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States, captained by Luka Modrić at his fifth World Cup. Dalić named the group on May 18, 2026, building it around a veteran midfield core and a rising younger generation.
Croatia advanced from Group L as runners up behind England and now meet Portugal in the Round of 32 on Thursday, July 2, 2026 at BMO Field in Toronto, a knockout tie that pits the 40 year old Modrić against Cristiano Ronaldo.
Below is the full roster, the group stage results, the knockout schedule and the key players to watch.
Croatia World Cup Squad 2026: Full 26-Player Roster
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Dominik Livaković | Dinamo Zagreb | 31 | 73 | 0 |
| GK | Dominik Kotarski | FC Copenhagen | 26 | 3 | 0 |
| GK | Ivor Pandur | Hull City | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| DF | Joško Gvardiol | Manchester City | 24 | 46 | 4 |
| DF | Duje Ćaleta-Car | Real Sociedad | 29 | 38 | 1 |
| DF | Josip Šutalo | Ajax | 26 | 31 | 0 |
| DF | Josip Stanišić | Bayern Munich | 26 | 29 | 0 |
| DF | Marin Pongračić | Fiorentina | 28 | 18 | 0 |
| DF | Martin Erlić | Midtjylland | 28 | 12 | 1 |
| DF | Luka Vušković | Hamburger SV | 19 | 4 | 1 |
| MF | Luka Modrić (C) | AC Milan | 40 | 196 | 28 |
| MF | Mateo Kovačić | Manchester City | 32 | 111 | 5 |
| MF | Mario Pašalić | Atalanta | 31 | 83 | 11 |
| MF | Nikola Vlašić | Torino | 28 | 61 | 10 |
| MF | Luka Sučić | Real Sociedad | 23 | 19 | 1 |
| MF | Martin Baturina | Como | 23 | 17 | 1 |
| MF | Kristijan Jakić | Augsburg | 29 | 16 | 2 |
| MF | Petar Sučić | Inter Milan | 22 | 15 | 1 |
| MF | Nikola Moro | Bologna | 28 | 9 | 0 |
| MF | Toni Fruk | Rijeka | 25 | 7 | 1 |
| FW | Ivan Perišić | PSV Eindhoven | 37 | 152 | 38 |
| FW | Andrej Kramarić | Hoffenheim | 34 | 114 | 36 |
| FW | Ante Budimir | Osasuna | 34 | 36 | 6 |
| FW | Marco Pašalić | Orlando City | 25 | 13 | 1 |
| FW | Petar Musa | FC Dallas | 28 | 10 | 1 |
| FW | Igor Matanović | Freiburg | 23 | 8 | 2 |
(C) = captain. Caps and goals are as of the start of the tournament; ages are as of June 11, 2026.
Quick Stats
- Captain: Luka Modrić (40 years old, record 196 caps at the start of the finals)
- Players with 100+ caps: 4 (Modrić, Perišić, Kramarić, Kovačić)
- Top scorer in the squad: Perišić (38 goals)
- Youngest player: Luka Vušković (19, Hamburger SV)
- Oldest player: Modrić (40)
- MLS players: 2 (Marco Pašalić at Orlando City, Petar Musa at FC Dallas)
- World Cup appearances: Croatia’s 7th, Modrić’s 5th
Key Players to Watch
- Luka Modrić (AC Milan). Captain and the heartbeat of Croatia for nearly two decades. The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner is playing his fifth World Cup and is closing in on 200 international caps as Dalić’s deep lying playmaker.
- Joško Gvardiol (Manchester City). Croatia’s premier defender at 24, back after surgery on a fractured right shin suffered in January and a regular through the group stage. Premier League and Champions League winner.
- Mateo Kovačić (Manchester City). One of four Croatian centurions on 111 caps. The 32 year old links defense and attack and is central to Dalić’s possession game.
- Ivan Perišić (PSV Eindhoven). At his fourth World Cup aged 37 and the squad’s top scorer with 38 international goals, behind only Davor Šuker in Croatia’s history. He scored in the 2018 final and remains an option from the left.
- Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim). A centurion on 114 caps with 36 goals, and Croatia’s top scorer in qualifying. The 34 year old leads the line in the biggest moments.
- The Sučić cousins (Luka and Petar). Luka of Real Sociedad and Petar of Inter Milan give Dalić fresh legs in midfield. Petar scored the opener in the 2-1 win over Ghana that sealed second place.
Croatia World Cup Squad 2026 Results and Schedule
Croatia took six points from three Group L matches to reach the knockout rounds as runners up. Here is how the Croatia World Cup Squad 2026 performed in the group stage and the fixture that comes next.
| Date | Match | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, June 17 | Croatia vs England | Lost 2-4 | Arlington |
| Tue, June 23 | Croatia vs Panama | Won 1-0 | Toronto |
| Sat, June 27 | Croatia vs Ghana | Won 2-1 | Philadelphia |
| Thu, July 2 | Croatia vs Portugal (Round of 32) | 7:00 PM ET | BMO Field, Toronto |
Croatia lost the opener to England 4-2 in Arlington, a reverse of the 2018 semi final that they had won 2-1 in extra time. Ante Budimir then came off the bench to score the only goal against Panama in Toronto, becoming Croatia’s oldest World Cup scorer at 34. A Petar Sučić strike and a late Nikola Vlašić header off a Modrić corner delivered a 2-1 win over Ghana in Philadelphia to secure second place.
Next comes the Round of 32 against Portugal at BMO Field in Toronto on Thursday, July 2, a headline meeting of Luka Modrić and Cristiano Ronaldo. The winner moves into the Round of 16.
Group L Final Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | Advanced |
| 2 | Croatia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | Advanced |
| 3 | Ghana | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Advanced (best third) |
| 4 | Panama | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | Eliminated |
England topped Group L on seven points, with Croatia second on six. Ghana went through as one of the eight best third placed teams, while Panama finished bottom without a goal.
How Croatia Qualified for World Cup 2026
Croatia topped UEFA qualifying Group L ahead of Czechia, the Faroe Islands, Montenegro and Gibraltar. Dalić’s side won seven of eight matches and drew only away in Czechia, scoring 26 goals and conceding four. Qualification was sealed on November 14, 2025 with a 3-1 home win over the Faroe Islands in Rijeka, and Andrej Kramarić finished as the top scorer in qualifying with six goals.
Head Coach: Zlatko Dalić
Zlatko Dalić has managed Croatia since October 2017 and is the most successful coach in the nation’s history. He led Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final, where they lost 4-2 to France, and to third place at Qatar 2022. He typically sets up in a 4-3-3 with Modrić as the deep lying playmaker, and his sides are known for grinding out knockout results.
FAQ About Croatia World Cup Squad 2026
Who is Croatia’s captain at the 2026 World Cup?
Luka Modrić captains Croatia at the 2026 World Cup. The 40 year old AC Milan midfielder is the national team’s record cap holder and the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner, and he is closing in on 200 international appearances.
How did Croatia do in the 2026 World Cup group stage?
Croatia finished second in Group L with six points. They lost the opener to England 4-2, then beat Panama 1-0 and Ghana 2-1 to reach the knockout rounds behind group winners England.
Who does Croatia play in the Round of 32?
Croatia face Portugal in the Round of 32 on Thursday, July 2, 2026 at BMO Field in Toronto, with kickoff at 7:00 PM ET. It is a headline meeting of Luka Modrić and Cristiano Ronaldo, and the winner advances to the Round of 16.
Is Luka Modrić in Croatia’s 2026 World Cup squad?
Yes. Modrić is in the squad and captains the side at his fifth World Cup, having also played in 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Who scored for Croatia in the group stage?
Ante Budimir scored the winner against Panama, and Petar Sučić and Nikola Vlašić scored in the 2-1 win over Ghana. Budimir became Croatia’s oldest World Cup goalscorer at 34.
Who is Croatia’s head coach for the 2026 World Cup?
Zlatko Dalić manages Croatia. He has been in charge since October 2017 and led the team to the 2018 World Cup final and a third place finish at Qatar 2022.
Has Croatia won the World Cup before?
No. Croatia’s best result is runner up in 2018, when they lost 4-2 to France. They also finished third in 1998 and third again at Qatar 2022.
How many players in the Croatia squad have over 100 international caps?
Four: Luka Modrić (196), Ivan Perišić (152), Andrej Kramarić (114) and Mateo Kovačić (111), making Croatia one of the most experienced squads at the 2026 World Cup.
Croatia’s World Cup 2026 Hopes
The Croatia World Cup Squad 2026 arrives in the knockout rounds as the most consistent dark horse of the modern era, having reached a final and two semi finals or better in the last two tournaments.
The path is harder now, with Modrić at 40 and Perišić at 37, but a fit Gvardiol, a healthy Kovačić and the Sučić cousins give Dalić options the 2022 squad lacked.
If the veterans hold up, the same gritty, possession heavy formula could carry Croatia deep into the bracket one more time, starting with Portugal in the Round of 32.
