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Ivan Perisic (top) is still knocking about at 37. He has a World Cup final goal to his name. Photograph: Icon Sportswire/Getty ImagesLuka Modric and friends are aiming for one last hurrah but a Tottenham defender is providing hope for the future for England’s group opponentsThis article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June.Qualifiers were easy for the Vatreni – the Blazers – as Czechia, far from their glory days, provided the only serious challenge in the group and were the only opponents to snatch at least a draw. Zlatko Dalic therefore used some of those games to experiment and deepen his pool of players. But when, last November, Croatia beat the Faroe Islands to secure top spot with one game to go, the manager said: “I will never try to play with three at the back again.”Fast forward to March before the friendlies with Colombia (2-1 win) and Brazil (1-3 defeat): he changed his mind, trying the formation in both matches with mixed results.However, this is likely to remain only a plan B for the World Cup. Croatia rely on Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic and, with the Manchester City duo back from injury, Dalic is inclined to revert to a back four – either 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 – which has been a constant during his nine-year reign.Croatia will be among the oldest teams at the tournament, with roughly half or more of their starters into their 30s and the captain, Luka Modric, now 40. That means loads of experience and a winning mentality but also raises some uneasy questions.Can the old guard of Modric, Kovacic (32), Ivan Perisic (37) and Andrej Kramaric (turning 35) still cut it? Are the younger, lesser-known players ready to step up? Croatia have been used to punching above their weight and their success at the past two World Cups has set the bar impossibly high, but they seem determined to deliver one last hurrah.Keeping his post for almost a decade now is quite an achievement in trigger-happy Croatia, but Zlatko Dalic has done more than enough to earn his credit and is practically untouchable. However, mention his contract ends with this World Cup and he will prove sensitive on the subject. “Leave me in peace to do my job,” he snapped when asked about it recently. “I’m not going to sign an extension if anyone is forcing me to decide now.” This is his third World Cup in charge having led the team to a silver medal in Russia and bronze in Qatar.It’s been 20 years since his full international debut and for most of that time Croatia have been Luka Modric’s team, built around the midfield maestro. It still is, even though a generation or two of players in his supporting cast have come and gone. Clearly he is not the same player who won the Ballon d’Or and Champions League titles with Real Madrid, but that is sometimes hard to tell when he is still pulling the strings for Croatia. He has been Milan’s best player – by some distance – after his switch from Madrid in 2025. He scored his 29th international goal in a warm-up match against Slovenia and should surpass the 200-cap mark in North America.Luka Vuskovic is the ball-playing, playmaking, scoring centre-back who is dominant in the air and has been the leader in every age category or league in which he has played so far. At 19 and still new to the team, the Tottenham defender (who was loaned out to Hamburg in the Bundesliga last season) has proved his worth to Zlatko Dalic and is expected to be a starter in North America. Is he ready for the biggest stage? Of course he is – you just wait and see.Mateo Kovacic spent most of his career in Modric’s shadow and has rarely been seen as a key player for Croatia. It is only when he is absent that his impact in midfield is truly appreciated as, when he is there, he provides Modric with more freedom and connecting lines of play. To Dalic, Kovacic’s importance is so clear that his whole approach, including formation, depends on it. If Kovacic is not at his best, Croatia are likely to switch from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1, or even to a back three.Croatia have had more than their fair share of trouble with fans, with their behaviour responsible for various sanctions. The team will have mass support, as always, but fans travelling to North America will be there to sing, dress up and simply have a good time supporting the team rather than protesting or causing strife. Or at least that’s the hope.The “not mixing sport with politics” cliche remains a fixed position in Croatia, rolled out when it suits those in power. The nation’s politicians have not been vocal about the Trump administration, so don’t expect anything even resembling an opinion or attitude from anyone in the team camp. Fans may complain about the prices or other issues, but generally Croatia are unlikely to cause a stir.

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Croatia head coach says England game crucial to hopesKovacic, Gvardiol and Modric lacking match sharpnessZlatko Dalic sees Croatia’s World Cup opener against England as pivotal to their summer fortunes, admitting a softer first match may have been preferable for a team struggling with form and fitness issues.Croatia beat Slovenia 2-1 in their final friendly before flying to the US but Dalic is likely to face several selection issues when they face England on 17 June. The Manchester City pair of Mateo Kovacic and Josip Gvardiol are both coming back from injury and it adds to the sense that Dalic’s side, who finished third in 2022 and runners-up four years earlier, risk starting their tournament on the back foot.“Maybe, because the first game can destroy everything,” Dalic said when asked whether he would have preferred to play England later in the group stage. “At Euro 2024 we lost 3-0 to Spain in the first game and we fell down, couldn’t come back. But in the past we’ve beaten Nigeria [in 2018] and drawn with Morocco [in 2022].“We can’t choose anything else now. The first game is the most important game. Against England we’ll fight, try to do our best and try to win.”Luka Modric, wearing a protective mask as he recovers from a fractured cheekbone, scored a beautifully taken goal in Varazdin but is among a handful of Dalic’s stalwarts lacking match sharpness. “Kovacic, Gvardiol and Modric didn’t play much for a long time and they are not in optimal form,” he said. “Especially Kovacic, he hardly played this season and now we need him. It’s not easy and we need time. Gvardiol is now back but I know they are not at the optimal level. We don’t have a big roster and these are some of our most important players.”Dalic was in charge when Croatia beat England in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup but would not bite on the prospect of any psychological scars remaining in their opponents, pointing out England have since beaten Croatia twice. He was effusive about the prowess of Thomas Tuchel’s team and spoke approvingly of their lengthy US-based preparation. England flew to Miami a week ago even though the match with Croatia, which will take place in Dallas, is not until 17 June.“A very strong team whose league is the best in the world and who play very offensive, very fast,” he said. “We will have to do something more.“I watched the game against New Zealand but it wasn’t a real situation, it was something different. It shows how serious your team is when they come to America nearly 20 days before to prepare everything. But I’m always an optimist, I will push my team and do the best on my side to win the game.”