When Croatia kick off their EURO2024 campaign at Berlin’s Olympiastadion on June 15th, they’ll be hoping this is the year they finally bring their World Cup form to the European Championships.
This is a nation which has spent its entire history punching above its own weight; and it’s not a long history, either. Croatia only made their tournament debut at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and they certainly started as they meant to go on. In their maiden voyage into international tournaments, spearheaded by top-scorer Davor Šuker, they managed to finish third.
In 2024, this is a country with World Cup heritage. They’ve finished in the top three twice more since then, coming third in 2022 and falling only at the final French hurdle in 2018. For a country that doesn’t even have 20 years of tournament history to their name and with a population of under four million, that’s pretty absurd.
But, despite their World Cup success, the EUROs have always been a different story. They’ve never bettered the quarterfinal stage and didn’t get past the round-of-16 last time out, losing to Spain in perhaps the game of the tournament. Luckily, they’ll have a chance for revenge right from the get-go.
Embed from Getty ImagesSandwiched slap bang in the middle of the group of death, they’ll have to face reigning champions Italy, rank outsiders Albania and, wouldn’t you just know it, Luis de la Fuente’s Spain – and they’ve got them in their very first match.
Luckily for them, they have a squad which will remember that all too well. Despite it being an ageing crop of players, almost all the stars who have led them at the last three tournaments are still at the fore. The likes of Ivan Perišić, Domagoj Vida, Andrej Kramarić, Marcelo Brozović and Mateo Kovačić are still mainstays.
…and then there’s Luka Modrić.
There’s not really anything left to say about Croatia’s captain that hasn’t already been said. If there’s one man who turns up at every single international competition (besides, of course, Switzerland’s Xherdan Shaqiri), it’s this man. Goal of the tournament contenders at each of the last two EUROs, the golden ball at the 2018 World Cup (and of the Ballon D’or that followed) and 10/10 appearances week in, week out: the only thing he’s missing now is that elusive trophy. But, at 38, this could be his last shot at glory.
They’ve still got Zlatko Dalić at the helm, too. The man who masterminded the modern rise of Croatia was never a spectacular player, and prior to taking over the national team, he never stood out as a manager either, spending his time between Eastern Europe and the Middle East before taking the national team job in 2017. Back then, he said he’d only stay on if they qualified for the 2018 World Cup. It’s not gone too badly since then.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut the sides around Croatia could prove to be their hindrance. Spain are excellent and have considerably more depth; Italy are interesting because they can never seem to decide if they’re actually good or not, but there’s no looking past the fact that they are the champions; even Albania, the second-lowest ranked side in the tournament, are stubborn as a mule at the back. Make no mistake about it: good as they are, Croatia will not have an easy ride in the group stages.
Their first clash with Spain, then, could be all the more important. It’s a grudge match not only because of EURO2020, but also because of the Nations League in 2023. The two met in the final of that competition and it was la Roja who took the trophy, winning on penalties to deny Croatia their first ever trophy. But more than that, it’s the game to set the tone; three points could be enough to secure their place as one of the best third-placed teams even if they don’t get into the top two. With the age of the squad, there might never be a better chance for Croatia to finally lift some silverware.
To that end, it’s all aligning quite nicely. We could be witnessing the last dance not only of the legend that is Luka Modrić, but this entire golden generation of Croatian football. They can avenge their losses to Spain, push further than they ever have at the Euros, and maybe, just maybe, secure that trophy they so desperately crave. They’re by no means the favourites – but when has that ever stopped them?