Croatia fell one win short of a historic World Cup triumph in Russia, but it’s back in Qatar led by some familiar faces who aren’t done just yet.
A small nation of only 3.8 million people is coming off its best-ever World Cup finish after its inspiring run to the final in Russia. In 2018, Croatia survived three extra-time clashes in the knockout stage, including penalty shootouts in the round of 16 and semifinals, before losing to France in the final.
But Zlatko Daliu0107’s side struggled mightily in the aftermath of its World Cup success. Croatia won only two of its eight matches in 2020 and failed to make it past the round of 16 at Euro 2020, losing to Spain in an extra-time thriller.