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Heading to North America in 2026 — the journey begins here.
| Guide | Date | Kickoff (ET) | Opponent | City | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Guide | June 17, 2026 | 3:00 PM | England | Toronto | BMO Field |
| City Guide | June 23, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Panama | Toronto | BMO Field |
| City Guide |
| June 27, 2026 |
| 3:00 PM |
| Ghana |
| Philadelphia |
| Lincoln Financial Field |
💡 Travel Tip: Click on any city above to view our comprehensive city guide with transit info, lodging recommendations, and local tips.
In their debut World Cup, Croatia defeats the Netherlands 2-1 to secure a third-place finish, signaling their emergence as a football power.
Croatia defeats England 2-1 in extra time in the semi-finals to reach their first-ever World Cup final, overcoming three consecutive knockout round extra-time battles.
Croatia secures the World Cup silver medal, a remarkable achievement for a nation of only 4 million people.
| Year | Event | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | First World Cup appearance as an independent nation, finishing third. | first appearance |
| 2008 | Reached the Euro Quarter-finals, losing to Turkey on penalties. | notable performance |
| 2018 | Reached the World Cup final in Russia, losing to France, their best-ever result. | notable performance |
| 2022 | Finished third at the World Cup, defeating Morocco in the third-place play-off. | notable performance |
| 2023 | Finished as runners-up in the UEFA Nations League, losing the final to Spain. | notable performance |
Croatian fans, known as the 'Vatreni' (The Fiery Ones), are famous for their passionate, constant chanting and the iconic red and white checkerboard pattern (šahovnica) seen everywhere, from jerseys to flags and face paint.
"Bojna Čavoglave (often played at matches)"
Torcida (influence from Hajduk Split), Bad Blue Boys (influence from Dinamo Zagreb)
Intense, loud, and extremely patriotic. Support often comes from a cohesive, vocal group that travels well and turns any stadium into a home match.
Davor Šuker was the Golden Boot winner in the 1998 World Cup.
Croatia is the only national team outside of the traditional footballing powers to reach a World Cup final since 1998.
The checkerboard pattern on the jersey is based on the coat of arms of Croatia.
Get the complete city guides for Croatia's World Cup destinations — lodging, transit, food, and everything you need to know.
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