Croatia World Cup Squad 2026: Full 26-Player Roster

Croatia announced its 26-player squad for World Cup 2026 on Monday, May 18, 2026. Zlatko Dalić named Luka Modrić to captain the side at his fifth World Cup, an appearance that makes the 40-year-old AC Milan midfielder one of the most experienced players at the tournament.

Modrić arrives on 196 caps and could reach 200 in North America. Joško Gvardiol returns after recovering from a broken shin, and Dalić confirmed the Manchester City defender will start the opener. Croatia opens Group L against England on June 17 in Arlington, Texas.

The squad features four players with more than 100 international caps (Modrić, Ivan Perišić, Andrej Kramarić, Mateo Kovačić), three goalkeepers, and a mix of veterans from the 2018 final and emerging talents. Dalić built the roster around his proven midfield core while handing tournament places to the next generation.

This is your full Croatia squad list, schedule, and key player breakdown for the 2026 tournament.

Croatia 26-Player Squad for World Cup 2026

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

Here are the key numbers in Zlatko Dalić’s final 26.

• Captain: Luka Modrić (40 years old, 196 caps, record holder)
• Players with 100+ caps: 4 (Modrić, Perišić, Kramarić, Kovačić)
• Most-capped player: Modrić (196 caps)
• 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)
• Premier League players: 2 (Gvardiol and Kovačić, both Manchester City)
• 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 sits on 196 caps, meaning he can pass the 200 mark during the tournament. He recovered from surgery for a fractured cheekbone in April and remains Dalić’s deep-lying playmaker.
• Joško Gvardiol (Manchester City). Croatia’s premier defender, 24, returns after surgery on a fractured right shin suffered in January. He came back to action for Manchester City against Crystal Palace on May 14, and Dalić has confirmed he will start the opener against England. Premier League and Champions League winner.
• Mateo Kovačić (Manchester City). Long-serving midfielder and one of four Croatian centurions on 111 caps. The 32-year-old links defense and attack and is central to Dalić’s possession game after recovering from his own injury.
• Ivan Perišić (PSV Eindhoven). Set for his fourth World Cup at 37 and the squad’s top scorer with 38 international goals, behind only Davor Šuker in Croatia’s history. The veteran scored in the 2018 final and remains an option from the left.
• Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim). A centurion at 114 caps with 36 goals, second only to Perišić in the current squad. The 34-year-old is expected to lead the line in the biggest moments.
• Luka Sučić (Real Sociedad). At 23, the Real Sociedad midfielder represents the next generation alongside cousin Petar Sučić of Inter Milan. He gives Dalić a creative option in the engine room.

Croatia World Cup 2026 Schedule

Croatia plays all three group matches across two countries and three host cities.

Date	Opponent	Venue	Kickoff (ET)	Kickoff (CET)
Wednesday, June 17	England	AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium), Arlington	4:00 PM	10:00 PM
Tuesday, June 23	Panama	BMO Field (Toronto Stadium), Toronto	7:00 PM	1:00 AM (June 24)
Saturday, June 27	Ghana	Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Stadium), Philadelphia	5:00 PM	11:00 PM

The opener against England in Arlington is a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final, which Croatia won 2-1 in extra time. Dalić’s side then faces Panama in Toronto before closing the group against Ghana in Philadelphia.

How Croatia Qualified for World Cup 2026

Croatia qualified for the 2026 World Cup in dominant fashion. Dalić’s side topped UEFA Group L ahead of Czechia, the Faroe Islands, Montenegro, and Gibraltar. They won seven of eight matches, drawing only their away fixture in Czechia 0-0. Croatia scored 26 goals and conceded just four across the campaign.

Qualification was sealed on November 14, 2025, with a 3-1 home win over the Faroe Islands in Rijeka. Striker Andrej Kramarić finished as Croatia’s 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 a third-place finish at Qatar 2022. The 2026 tournament is his third World Cup in charge.

Dalić typically deploys a 4-3-3 with Modrić as the deep-lying playmaker. His Croatia side is built around technical midfielders and is known for grinding out results in knockout matches, having reached at least the semi-finals in both of his prior World Cup campaigns.

Group L at a Glance

Team	FIFA Ranking	World Cup Appearances	Best Finish
England	4	17	Champions (1966)
Croatia	10	7	Runners-up (2018)
Panama	30	2	Group stage (2018)
Ghana	72	5	Quarter-finals (2010)

Group L is widely considered one of the most balanced groups at the tournament. England open against Croatia in a rematch of the 2018 semi-final, which Croatia won 2-1 in extra time. Ghana return after missing the 2022 tournament, and Panama make their second World Cup appearance.

FAQ About Croatia World Cup Squad 2026

Croatia’s World Cup 2026 Hopes

Croatia arrive in North America as the most consistent dark horse of the modern era. Dalić has guided this squad to a World Cup final and two semi-final-or-better finishes in the last two tournaments.

The path is harder this time. Modrić is 40, Perišić is 37, and the dressing-room generation that delivered Russia and Qatar is winding down.

But Croatia’s strength has always been timing. Gvardiol is back and will start. Kovačić is fit. The Sučić cousins give Dalić midfield options the 2022 squad lacked.

If the veterans can hold up for one more month, the same gritty, possession-heavy formula that beat England in 2018 could carry Croatia deep into the bracket one final time.