Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić named Croatia’s World Cup squad on Monday, May 18.
He chose a final roster and included seven players on the standby list as well, should anything happen to any of the players on the main list.
Before we go on, here is Croatia’s World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Dominik Livaković (Dinamo Zagreb), Dominik Kotarski (FC Copenhagen), Ivor Pandur (Hull City).
Defenders: Joško Gvardiol (Manchester City), Duje Ćaleta-Car (Real Sociedad), Josip Šutalo (Ajax), Josip Stanišić (Bayern Munich), Marin Pongračić (Fiorentina), Martin Erlić (FC Midtjylland), Luka Vušković (Hamburger SV).
Midfielders: Luka Modrić (AC Milan), Mateo Kovačić (Manchester City), Mario Pašalić (Atalanta), Nikola Vlašić (Torino FC), Luka Sučić (Real Sociedad), Martin Baturina (Como), Kristijan Jakić (FC Augsburg), Petar Sučić (Inter Milan), Nikola Moro (Bologna), Toni Fruk (HNK Rijeka).
Forwards: Ivan Perišić (PSV), Andrej Kramarić (TSG Hoffenheim), Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Marco Pašalić (Orlando City), Petar Musa (FC Dallas), Igor Matanović (SC Freiburg).
Croatia’s World Cup Standby List: Lovro Majer (VfL Wolfsburg), Franjo Ivanović (Benfica Lisbon), Dion Drena Beljo (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivan Smolčić (Como), Karlo Letica (Lausanne), Adrian Segečić (Portsmouth), Luka Stojković (Dinamo Zagreb).
Croatia’s World Cup Squad: A Look At The Side
First of all, it is very good news that key players such as team captain Luka Modrić and Joško Gvardiol have both made the main roster for now, despite their prior injuries. They are both vital to the success of this national team in North America this summer.
There are some surprise omissions and inclusions in Croatia’s World Cup squad. Particularly, the omission of Dion Drena Beljo, a highly prolific goal scorer for Dinamo Zagreb this season, is quite strange.
Even if we grant Dalić the fact that the domestic Croatian league, the HNL, is not one of the strongest or most competitive leagues in Europe, it is still odd that there are only two players from that league included in Croatia’s World Cup squad, while there are just as many Major League Soccer players on it as well.
This is not meant to sound disrespectful towards Marco Pašalić, Petar Musa, or the MLS in any way. It is simply to say that Beljo has a goalscoring record this term that no player on the main part of Croatia’s World Cup squad can match.
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Croatia’s Biggest Weakness
The biggest weakness for the Vatreni has been their lack of a lethal goalscorer for decades, when they had the likes of Davor Šuker and, later on, with Eduardo da Silva.
Once again, this squad lacks that instinctive goalscorer, and for that reason, Beljo at least deserved a chance.
Tactical Considerations
When it mattered most, Dalić has always had his team play with a back four, despite spending years of flirting with the idea of a 3-5 -2, as he had done during the most recent international break in March.
Final Thoughts
Even Dalić’s biggest critics agree that he has brought a great team spirit to the national team. This bond was one of the key factors as to why the side finished the last two World Cup tournaments on the podium.
It will be extremely difficult to replicate that with this team, as Croatia’s World Cup squad, especially with the newly expanded tournament format, lacks the quality that some national teams possess.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Marty Jean Louis
Recording Date: 31.03.2026
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