Overview
- Luka Modrić is in Croatia’s final 26-man squad and will make his fifth World Cup appearance, entering the tournament with 198 caps and poised to add at least one more in the opener.
- Modrić returned from a fractured cheekbone sustained on April 26 and is reported fit to play in the Group L opener versus England.
- Joško Gvardiol has also come back from a long shin fracture, giving Croatia a near-full defensive group that mixes established starters with younger options.
- The roster keeps a durable veteran core from the 2018 and 2022 runs alongside rising talents such as Luka Vušković and Petar Sučić.
- Croatia begin their group stage on Wednesday in Arlington against England and then play Panama in Toronto and Ghana in Philadelphia, continuing a recent era of deep World Cup finishes for the nation.