Football (soccer, to most people) is one of the world’s most popular sports. It’s a sport that people from all corners of the Earth enjoy watching. And Croatia, a small country in Southeast Europe, is no exception. Since it joined FIFA in 1994, Croatia has had a lot of success on the international stage. They have even qualified for the World Cup four times and made it to the final once. But how did Croatia get to where they are today? And how can you follow their progress this year? We’ll explore all of this and more in this blog post. So stay tuned!
Croatia National Football Team
Croatia National Football Team – Before the World Cup
The Croatian National Football Team is gearing up for its biggest World Cup competition. Led by new head coach Niko Kranjcar, they’ve had a bit of a rocky road to this point. After qualifying in late 2016, Brazil eliminated them in the Group Stage of the Confederations Cup. However, Croatia looks poised to make a run at the cup this year with some key additions to their roster in the form of Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic. Here are 5 things to know about Croatia before the World Cup:
1. They have a rich football history: Croatia first qualified for the World Cup in 1998 under former manager Davor Suker. Since then, they’ve appeared in four consecutive tournaments (2002-2006), including their most recent appearance, where they made it to the semifinals before being eliminated by Spain.
2. Their star players: The Croatian National Football Team is well-known for its talented superstars like Luka Modric and Zlatko Dalic. Both players were part of Real Madrid’s successful campaign last season, which saw them win La Liga and Champions League titles, respectively. Modric was also named FIFA Men’s Player of the Year for 2018, while Dalic won Best Defender at Euro 2016.
3. They’re determined: Despite their previous eliminations at the Confederate
Croatia’s History
Croatia is a country located in Southeast Europe. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Slovenia border the country. Croatia emerged as an independent state following World War II. The country has had a turbulent history, fraught with wars and natural disasters. However, the country has made significant progress since its independence in 1991.
Today, Croatia is a prosperous and democratic republic. The country has a population of around 10 million people. Services and tourism dominate the economy. Croatia has been successful at football, winning international matches and cups.
Croatia’s Squad for the World Cup
Croatia qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil by placing second in their qualifying group, behind Spain. They will face Denmark, France, and Portugal in Group D of the tournament.
The Croatian squad is youthful and exciting and features several players with international experience. Led by manager Niko Kovac, they are hopeful of making an impact at the World Cup.
Croatia’s players have worked hard to develop their skills over the years and are now among the best in the world. The team has shown great resilience in its recent qualifying campaign, winning all six matches en route to qualification.
At 28 years old, Mario Mandzukic is Croatia’s leading goalscorer at the international level. Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic join him as two of Croatia’s most influential midfielders. Up front, there is competition for places between Ivica Olic and Duje Cop, who both score regularly for their clubs. Vedran Corluka leads the defense, with Dejan Lovren as his backup.
Croatia’s Qualification Campaign
Croatia is one of the six teams competing in the UEFA European Championship. The team qualified for the tournament by winning their group, which consisted of England, Romania, and Sweden. Croatia’s biggest success in international play came at the 2014 World Cup, where they reached the final against France.
Croatia at the World Cup
Croatia made its World Cup debut in 1998 and has since appeared four times, including this year. The team is made up of talented players from all over Croatia, as well as some international stars.
Croatia is one of the smallest countries to make it to the World Cup, but they are not new to the tournament. They narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2002 World Cup and then qualified for the 2006 World Cup after a playoff against Denmark.
This year’s team is led by coach Ante Cacic, who has been with the national team since 2006. Cacic has a strong background in coaching at the youth level and has helped develop talented players, such as Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic.
Croatia’s first game of the World Cup will be against Nigeria on June 15th. They will face tough opposition in Group D, which includes Argentina and Iran. However, Croatians are confident going into their first major tournament and are looking forward to showing off their skills on the world stage.
Predictions for the World Cup
The World Cup is just around the corner, and experts’ and fans’ predictions come with it. Here are some of the most popular ones:
1. Croatia will finish in the top three.
This seems like a safe bet, as Croatia has been consistently impressive in qualifying, topping their group despite being drawn against Russia, Spain, and France. They’ve also looked strong in their pre-tournament matches, beating Denmark and Peru convincingly. Their opponents in the knockout stages – England, Portugal, and Belgium – can win games, but Croatia should be able to get past them all.
2. Neymar will score a hat-trick in Brazil’s opening game against Costa Rica.
Many believe that Neymar is the best player in the world right now and his skillset perfectly complements Brazil’s attacking style. He’s scored plenty of goals for Barcelona so far this season. He’ll look to continue that run at the World Cup – especially as Brazil avoids playing against South Korea or Germany in Group D. Costa Rica won’t be an easy opponent. Still, Neymar should be able to break their resistance with a hat-trick on his debut for Brazil.
3. Lionel Messi will be voted the tournament’s best player.
There’s no doubt that Messi is one of the greatest players to ever step on a football pitch, let alone play for Argentina. He led Barcelona to Champions League glory last season and has already.
Conclusion
Croatia is a country located in Southeast Europe. It has a population of just over 10 million. It borders Serbia to the north, Bosnia, and Herzegovina to the west, Hungary to the south, and Slovenia to the east. Croatia’s official language is Croatian, but it also recognizes Serbian as an official language. The country was first settled by Illyrians in the 1st century BC and later became part of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine I in 312 AD.
After defeating King Bela III in 925 AD, Croatia became a kingdom ruled by Dalmatian Croats under King Tomislav I, who converted to Christianity in 989 AD. In 1991 Croatians voted for independence from Yugoslavia which they achieved six months later. Croatia joined NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2013.