As Croatia prepares to face England in a blockbuster Group L clash at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, head coach Zlatko Dalić has delivered a pointed response to persistent doubts about his team’s age and credentials, taking a swipe at England’s decades-long trophy drought in the process.
With a 2–1 victory over Slovenia in their final warm-up match, the 2018 runners-up enter the tournament determined to extend a golden era that has seen them collect more major medals than many of Europe’s traditional powerhouses.
Since being appointed in October 2017, Dalić has guided the Vatreni to five consecutive major tournaments, widely regarded as the greatest coach in the nation’s history. Yet despite this sustained success—a World Cup silver medal in 2018, a bronze in 2022, and a runner-up finish at the 2023 UEFA Nations League—the narrative of Croatia being “too old” and “worn out” has persisted.
“They’ve been saying we’re old since 2018,” Dalić said in a recent press conference, referencing the repeated underestimation of his squad. “Perhaps we are older and more tired than before. But in the 21st century, together with France and Germany, we have won the most medals. And look at England – they are young, not tired, but 60 years without a medal.”
Indeed, the Three Lions have not reached the World Cup final since their famous triumph on home soil in 1966. While they have reached the semi-finals twice since then—in 1990 and 2018—England has not won a title of any kind since lifting the trophy 60 years ago, a drought that Dalić was quick to highlight as he defended his squad’s competitive edge.
The Croatian coach went on to emphasize the difficulty of maintaining such a high level of performance. “It’s much harder to stay at the top than it is to get there,” he said. “We’ve maintained this excellence for eight years, and we’ve achieved it through quality, hard work, skill, and tactics.”
Behind the scenes, the team is anchored by a core of players who have defied conventional footballing timelines. Captain Luka Modrić, now 40 years old, is preparing for his fifth World Cup and remains the heartbeat of the side. With four players on the roster boasting over 100 caps, the team balances veteran leadership with emerging talent like 19-year-old Luka Vušković, one of the youngest players in the tournament.
On the pitch, that experience has translated into tangible success. Croatia’s qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup was nearly flawless: they went unbeaten with seven wins and a draw, scoring 26 goals while conceding just four. Despite being a nation of fewer than four million people, Croatia has consistently punched above its weight, often being one of the smallest countries competing at the tournament.
As the June 17 group stage opener against England approaches, Dalić made it clear that his side is not to be underestimated. “We keep going, we keep achieving,” he added. The message from the Croatian camp is one of defiance: with a proven record of performing on the biggest stages, they believe their blend of experience and resilience can once again silence the doubters.
