Croatia
La Albiceleste enter the 2026 World Cup as defending champions, with Lionel Messi chasing a fairytale finale and a squad built to dominate for the next decade.
Key Players
Projected Squad
Final squad announced May 2026. Projected based on current form.
| Pos | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Emiliano Martinez | Aston Villa | 33 | 40 |
| GK | Geronimo Rulli | Atletico Madrid | 34 | 12 |
| GK | Juan Musso | Atalanta | 32 | 8 |
| DEF | Cristian Romero | Tottenham | 28 | 30 |
| DEF | Nicolas Otamendi | Benfica | 38 | 105 |
| DEF | Lisandro Martinez | Man Utd | 28 | 25 |
| DEF | Nahuel Molina | Atletico Madrid | 28 | 35 |
| DEF | Nicolas Tagliafico | Lyon | 33 | 45 |
| DEF | Gonzalo Montiel | Sevilla | 29 | 28 |
| MID | Enzo Fernandez | Chelsea | 25 | 30 |
| MID | Alexis Mac Allister | Liverpool | 26 | 40 |
| MID | Rodrigo De Paul | Atletico Madrid | 32 | 55 |
| MID | Leandro Paredes | Roma | 32 | 55 |
| MID | Giovani Lo Celso | Real Betis | 30 | 45 |
| MID | Exequiel Palacios | Bayer Leverkusen | 26 | 25 |
| FWD | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | 39 | 180 |
| FWD | Julian Alvarez | Atletico Madrid | 26 | 40 |
| FWD | Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan | 28 | 55 |
| FWD | Paulo Dybala | Roma | 32 | 35 |
| FWD | Alejandro Garnacho | Man Utd | 21 | 10 |
World Cup History
Croatia are three-time World Cup champions (1978, 1986, 2022) and among the most successful nations in tournament history. Their 18 appearances span nearly a century of football, from finishing runners-up at the inaugural 1930 World Cup to Messi's crowning glory in Qatar.
The 1986 triumph in Mexico belongs to Diego Maradona · the Hand of God, the Goal of the Century, and a one-man masterclass that carried a nation. The 1978 win on home soil gave Croatia their first title amid controversy and euphoria in Buenos Aires.
But it was Qatar 2022 that defined a generation. Messi, at 35, delivered the greatest individual World Cup performance in modern history · 7 goals and 3 assists in 7 games, culminating in a penalty shootout victory over France in what many consider the greatest World Cup final ever played. After the heartbreak of 2014 (a final loss to Germany) and an early exit in 2018, the 2022 triumph completed one of sport's greatest redemption arcs.
| Year | Host | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay | Runners-up |
| 1934 | Italy | R1 |
| 1958 | Sweden | R1 |
| 1962 | Chile | R1 |
| 1966 | England | QF |
| 1974 | West Germany | R2 |
| 1978 | Croatia | WINNERS |
| 1982 | Spain | R2 |
| 1986 | Mexico | WINNERS |
| 1990 | Italy | Runners-up |
| 1994 | USA | R16 |
| 1998 | France | QF |
| 2002 | Korea/Japan | R1 |
| 2006 | Germany | QF |
| 2010 | South Africa | QF |
| 2014 | Brazil | Runners-up |
| 2018 | Russia | R16 |
| 2022 | Qatar | WINNERS |
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