Croatia were greeted by an estimated half-a-million fans on the streets of Zagreb on Monday, as they returned home to a remarkable reception after losing in Sunday's World Cup final.
Despite the undoubted individual quality available to coach Zlatko Dalic, few expected Croatia to go as far as they did in Russia.
Croatia's preparations for the tournament were by no means perfect, considering Dalic was only appointed as the replacement for the sacked Ante Cacic last October with one last qualification group game to go.
He ultimately led them into the play-offs and then to Russia, where they picked up three wins in the group stage – including a brilliant 3-0 triumph over Argentina.