Overview
- Croatia played Slovenia on Sunday at Stadion Varteks in Varaždin as its final pre-World Cup friendly.
- Manager Zlatko Dalić named a fully fit squad with veteran midfielder Luka Modrić available to be assessed in match conditions.
- Slovenia travelled without striker Benjamin Šeško and used the game to trial younger players while rebuilding after missing World Cup qualification.
- Broadcasters confirmed regional access to the fixture, with FS2 and the FOX Sports app carrying the match in the United States and Amazon Prime pay-per-view offering coverage in parts of the U.K.
- Croatia arrived under pressure after recent warm-up losses and a pattern of conceding early goals, so the friendly served as a final tactical check that could influence last-minute selection and starting XI choices for the World Cup.