Why England fears Croatia — again
Broken hearts in 2018, a Wembley humiliation in 2007 — Croatia have a habit of haunting England, and Dallas could be next.
England open their 2026 World Cup campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, and despite the comfortable gap in world rankings, Thomas Tuchel would be wise to approach the match with caution.
Croatia are ranked 11th in the world — but rankings have never told the full story with this side. For a nation of under four million people, their record in major tournaments is extraordinary: a debut third-place finish in 1998, runners-up in 2018, and third place again in 2022. They are international football's perennial overachievers, and England know that better than most.
It was Croatia who knocked England out of the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. It was Croatia who beat England at Wembley in 2007 on Steve McClaren's infamous "Wally with the Brolly" night, the last time England failed to qualify for a major tournament. Even at Euro 2020, where England beat them in the opener and went on to reach the final, Croatia were far from a comfortable opponent.
Dalic is under no illusions about the scale of the task. "From the first pot we got one of the toughest national teams," he said. "It's a bit unfortunate we're playing them in the opening match — it sets the tone. We'll have to be ready."
At 40, Luka Modric remains the heartbeat of the side. But Dalic's focus this cycle has been on building around a new generation, with the likes of Joško Gvardiol — injury permitting — leading the charge. "We have great talent and new players ready to step up," said Dalic. "We have great experience, younger players, and still a determination to win. We believe we can go past the group stage and into the knockouts."
England may be heavy favourites. Croatia have heard that before.