Croatia’s run to the World Cup final in 2018 set a new standard for them as an independent nation, after previously reaching the semifinals of France 1998.
With a squad filled with UEFA Champions League talent, Zlatko Dalic’s side finally clicked together on the world stage four years ago, to storm past Denmark, Russia and England, before losing out to France in the title decider.
However, they have regrouped since then, despite a last-16 exit at Euro 2020, and Dalic will be looking to drag one more big-tournament performance from his veteran stars in Qatar.
Captained by Real Madrid star Luka Modric, Croatia will boast one of the most experienced squads at the World Cup, and Dalic will be relying on that crucial know-how to drive their momentum once again.
MORE: Croatia’s opponents at Qatar 2022: Group F in profile
Projected Croatia World Cup squad 2022
Dalic has until Friday, October 21 to submit an official preliminary list of up to 55 players to FIFA, from which he will select a final 26-man roster for Qatar by Monday, November 14.
Croatia made their preliminary roster available publicly on October 31, with 34 names on the chart. They announced their final roster will be released on November 9. These are the players listed on the preliminary squad:
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Ivo Grbic | Atletico Madrid (SPA) | 26 | 2 |
| Goalkeeper | Ivica Ivusic | Osijek (CRO) | 27 | 5 |
| Goalkeeper | Dominik Kotarski | PAOK Thessaloniki (GRE) | 0 | |
| Goalkeeper | Nediljko Labrovic | Rijeka (CRO) | 23 | 0 |
| Goalkeeper | Dominik Livakovic | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 27 | 33 |
| Defender | Borna Barisic | Rangers (SCO) | 29 | 27 |
| Defender | Duje Caleta-Car | Southampton (ENG) | 26 | 23 |
| Defender | Martin Erlic | Sassuolo (ITA) | 24 | 3 |
| Defender | Josko Gvardiol | RB Leipzig (GER) | 20 | 12 |
| Defender | Josip Juranovic | Celtic (SCO) | 27 | 21 |
| Defender | Dejan Lovren | Zenit (RUS) | 33 | 71 |
| Defender | Marin Pongracic | Lecce (ITA) | 25 | 5 |
| Defender | Borna Sosa | VfB Stuttgart (GER) | 24 | 8 |
| Defender | Josip Stanisic | Bayern Munich (GER) | 22 | 6 |
| Defender | Josip Sutalo | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 22 | 3 |
| Defender | Domagoj Vida | AEK Athens (GRE) | 33 | 99 |
| Midfielder | Marcelo Brozovic | Inter Milan (ITA) | 29 | 76 |
| Midfielder | Luka Ivanusec | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 23 | 11 |
| Midfielder | Kristijan Jakic | Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) | 25 | 4 |
| Midfielder | Mateo Kovacic | Chelsea (ENG) | 28 | 83 |
| Midfielder | Lovro Majer | Rennes (FRA) | 24 | 10 |
| Midfielder | Josip Misic | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 28 | 2 |
| Midfielder | Luka Modric | Real Madrid (SPA) | 37 | 154 |
| Midfielder | Mario Pasalic | Atalanta (ITA) | 27 | 42 |
| Midfielder | Ivan Perisic | Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) | 33 | 115 |
| Midfielder | Luka Sucic | RB Salzburg (AUS) | 20 | 3 |
| Midfielder | Nikola Vlasic | Torino (ITA) | 25 | 41 |
| Forward | Josip Brekalo | VfL Wolfsburg (GER) | 24 | 33 |
| Forward | Ante Budimir | Osasuna (ENG) | 31 | 15 |
| Forward | Antonio Colak | Rangers (SCO) | 29 | 3 |
| Forward | Andrej Kramaric | Hoffenheim (GER) | 31 | 73 |
| Forward | Marko Livaja | Hadjuk Split (CRO) | 29 | 14 |
| Forward | Bruno Petkovic | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 28 | 22 |
| Forward | Mislav Orsic | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 29 | 20 |
Final 26-man Croatia World Cup roster
Croatia start their challenge in Qatar by facing Morocco on November 23, but first they’ll play one final friendly fixture against fellow World Cup hopefuls Saudi Arabia, on November 16.
The biggest injury to keep an eye on is that of midfielder Marcelo Brozovic who encountered a hamstring issue in late September and has missed all of October. He is thought to be nearing a return, but injuries this close to the World Cup can always raise questions.
Here’s a projected look at who could conceivably make it onto the plane for the Croats, assuming everyone is fully fit and available.
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Dominik Livakovic | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 27 | 33 |
| Goalkeeper | Love Kalinic | Hadjuk Split (CRO) | 32 | 19 |
| Goalkeeper | Ivica Ivusic | Osijek (CRO) | 27 | 5 |
| Defender | Josip Stanisic | Bayern Munich (GER) | 22 | 6 |
| Defender | Borna Barisic | Rangers (SCO) | 29 | 27 |
| Defender | Martin Erlic | Sassuolo (ITA) | 24 | 3 |
| Defender | Dejan Lovren | Zenit St Petersburg (ITA) | 33 | 71 |
| Defender | Borna Sosa | VfB Stuttgart (GER) | 24 | 8 |
| Defender | Josko Gvardiol | RB Leipzig (GER) | 20 | 12 |
| Defender | Domagoj Vida | AEK Athens (GRE) | 33 | 99 |
| Defender | Josip Juranovic | Celtic (SCO) | 27 | 21 |
| Defender | Duje Caleta-Car | Southampton (ENG) | 26 | 23 |
| Midfielder | Lovro Majer | Rennes (FRA) | 24 | 10 |
| Midfielder | Mateo Kovacic | Chelsea (ENG) | 28 | 83 |
| Midfielder | Luka Modric | Real Madrid (SPA) | 37 | 154 |
| Midfielder | Luka Sucic | RB Salzburg (AUS) | 20 | 3 |
| Midfielder | Marcelo Brozovic | Inter Milan (ITA) | 29 | 76 |
| Midfielder | Nikola Vlasic | Torino (ITA) | 25 | 41 |
| Midfielder | Mario Pasalic | Atalanta (ITA) | 27 | 42 |
| Midfielder | Ivan Perisic | Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) | 33 | 115 |
| Forward | Andrej Kramaric | Hoffenheim (GER) | 31 | 73 |
| Forward | Marko Livaja | Hadjuk Split (CRO) | 29 | 14 |
| Forward | Bruno Petkovic | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 28 | 22 |
| Forward | Ante Budimir | Osasuna (ENG) | 31 | 15 |
| Forward | Mislav Orsic | Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) | 29 | 20 |
| Forward | Josip Brekalo | VfL Wolfsburg (GER) | 24 | 33 |
Croatia best player, strengths & weaknesses
Croatia’s main weapon in Qatar will be their incredible level of experience on both the domestic and international scene, with Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic both boasting over 100 caps.
Dalic will again rely on the same names that powered their run to the final in Russia, with Modric and Perisic likely joined by Dejan Lovren, Domagoj Vida and Marcelo Brozovic.
Stars
The old faces are still the star names within the Croatia squad with Modric remaining the key man for club and country in midfield.
Some of the other veteran stars have seen their stars dip slightly since 2018, but the emergence of Josko Gvardiol offers a new option at the back, with the RB Leipzig star already reportedly on Chelsea’s transfer radar.
Strengths
Alongside keeping his veterans ticking over, Dalic has also dealt positively with key international retirements by promoting from within and scouring Europe for talent.
Gvardiol could start ahead of Vida, as a regeneration in defence, with Scotland-based duo Josip Juranovic and Borna Barisic effectively stepping in for now departed Sime Vrsaljko and Ivan Strinic.
Weaknesses
However, despite managing to replace key names at the back, Dalic is lacking a potent replacement for 2018 heroes Mario Mandzukic and Ante Rebic, with Andrej Kramaric set to shoulder the main goalscoring responsibility.
Croatia World Cup group
Dalic’s Croatia look set for a straight shootout with Belgium for top spot in Group F, with the Red Devils also under pressure to squeeze a last hurrah from their veteran stars.
Canada will pose a threat, if either of the European heavyweights struggle, and coach John Herdman could see his side upset the odds in this group.
Croatia Group F fixtures and match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | Morocco vs. Croatia | 5 a.m. | Al Bayt |
| Sun, Nov. 27 | Croatia vs. Canada | 11 a.m. | Khalifa Int’l |
| Thurs, Dec. 1 | Croatia vs. Belgium | 10 a.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali |
Can Croatia replace players on World Cup roster?
Once the final 26-man roster is official, participating teams at the World Cup can only make changes before the first game of the tournament, and only in the case of extraordinary circumstances.
According to the official tournament rules, “a player listed on the final list may only be replaced in the event of serious injury or illness up until 24 hours before the start of his team’s first match.”
The team in question would need to submit a medical report to FIFA and if the world governing body determines “the injury or illness is sufficiently serious to prevent the player from taking part in the FIFA World Cup” then the replacement will be allowed.
The replacement player must come from the preliminary list of players submitted to FIFA in October.