The Croácia selection officially announced its 26 athletes chosen to compete in the Copa of the 2026 Mundo. The announcement took place on Monday afternoon through the technical committee of the national football federation. The group maintains an experienced base for the tournament that will be played at América of Norte. Coach Zlatko Dalic chose to mix athletes renowned in previous campaigns with young people who have recently gained space on the European scene.
The team’s biggest reference continues to be midfielder Luka Modric, who currently plays for Milan in Italian football. The experienced player is going to another Mundial in his career as the captain and main articulator of the central sector. Outro The well-known name that stamped the passport was the striker Ivan Perisic, who currently plays for PSV. The backbone preserves elements from the 2018 and 2022 standout campaigns.
Ausência of Bruno Petkovic becomes the main novelty in the relationship of Zlatko Dalic
The Croatian coaching staff surprised by leaving important players from previous tournaments out of the final list of 26 names. Center forward Bruno Petkovic was not included in the list of players traveling to the international competition. The athlete gained notoriety among Brazilian fans by scoring the equalizing goal in the quarterfinals of Copa of Mundo of Qatar. Outro The name crossed out was that of midfielder Mislav Orsic, directly responsible for the assist that led to that goal in extra time in 2022.
Coach Zlatko Dalic justified the choices based on the athletes’ recent performance at their respective European clubs. The decision to renew part of the offensive sector reflects the search for greater speed in fast transitions. Críticos locals questioned the lack of an area man with the specific characteristics that Bruno Petkovic possesses. The technical committee preferred to bet on attackers with greater physical mobility.
Grupo L puts Croatians through complex paths in the first phase
Croácia fell into a bracket considered balanced by the international press for the initial commitments of the Fifa tournament. Zlatko Dalic’s players are part of Grupo L alongside teams from three different continents. The first official scheduled match will be against Inglaterra on June 17th. The European clash should define the direction of the group’s leadership right at the opening.
The other two opponents in the first phase present completely different playing styles for the Europeans to map out. The Panamá team represents Concacaf with physical strength football and strong pressing in the middle. The Gana team enters as the African representative of the group, betting on the speed of the wingers. Croatian analysts project that scoring points against the Ghanaians will be crucial for classification.
Relação complete of the 26 athletes called up by the Croácia selection
The final list distributed by the football federation details the clubs and leagues where each professional currently plays. Italian football and German Bundesliga account for a significant portion of the selected athletes.
- Goleiros: Livakovic (Dínamo Zagreb), Kotarski (Copenhagen) and Pandur (Hull City).
- Defensores: Caleta-Car (Real Sociedad), Sutalo (Ajax), Gvardiol (Manchester City), Stanisic (Bayern from Munique), Pongracic (Fiorentina), Jakic (Augsburg), Erlic (Midtjylland) and Vuskovic (Hamburgo).
- Meias: Luka Modric (Milan), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta), Vlasic (Torino), Luka Sucic (Real Sociedad), Baturina (Como), Petar Sucic (Inter of Milão), Moro (Bologna) and Fruk (Rijeka).
- Atacantes: Ivan Perisic (PSV), Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Budimir (Osasuna), Marco Pasalic (Orlando City), Musa (FC Dallas) and Matanovic (Freiburg).
Defesa consolidated into Manchester City serves as the pillar of the tactical system
The Croatian defensive sector features athletes who occupy an absolute prominent role in the main leagues on the planet. Defender Gvardiol emerges as the name with the greatest technical weight in the defensive line set up by Zlatko Dalic. The player plays under the command of Pep Guardiola in Manchester City and has evolved in building plays from the back line. Sua’s versatility allows him to play both centrally and on the left side of the field.
The squad also has the security of full-back Stanisic, who defends the colors of Bayern from Munique in Alemanha. The international experience of these defenders gives the team solid consistency in knockout matches. Goalkeeper Livakovic remains the absolute starter in goal after strong performances in the last edition of the tournament. The coaching staff trusts in keeping the defensive block low to contain the pressure from Inglaterra’s attackers.