Croatia may be considered one of the world’s strongest soccer nations today, but their World Cup history as an independent country is relatively short. Having previously been part of Yugoslavia, the 2026 edition is only their seventh World Cup appearance.
Since becoming a FIFA member following independence, they have qualified for every tournament except 2010, beginning in 1998. Despite that limited history, Croatia have become one of the biggest overachievers in the competition. Among nations that have never won the tournament, only the Netherlands can rival their success at the highest level.
Their best-ever finish came in 2018, when Croatia reached the final. It was an outstanding campaign from the very first match as they defeated Nigeria, Argentina, and Iceland in the group stage. They then survived three exhausting knockout matches by beating Denmark and Russia on penalties before overcoming England after extra time in the semifinals. Their remarkable run ended with a 4-2 defeat to France in the final.
Other great performances
Croatia’s consistency at the World Cup has been remarkable despite their limited number of appearances. Along with their runners-up finish in 2018, they have also claimed third place twice, making them one of the most successful nations never to win the tournament.
Suker won the Golden Boot in 1998 (Shaun Botterill /Allsport)
Their first bronze medal came in 1998. Led by Davor Šuker, Croatia stunned Germany 3-0 in the quarterfinals before losing to hosts France in the semifinals. They bounced back by defeating the Netherlands 2-1 in the third-place match to complete one of the greatest debut campaigns in World Cup history.
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Croatia repeated that achievement in 2022. They eliminated Japan on penalties before producing one of the tournament’s biggest upsets against Brazil, equalizing late in extra time and then winning another penalty shootout. A semifinal defeat to Argentina ended their title hopes, but they recovered to beat Morocco 2-1 in the third-place match and claim another bronze medal.
Their 2026 campaign
The group included several competitive teams that could have prevented Croatia from reaching the knockout stage. That challenge became even greater after they opened their campaign with a defeat to England, leaving themselves with little margin for error. They responded with victories over Panama and Ghana to finish second in the group and advance to the Round of 32.
