Croatia At the Qatar World Cup 2022

Securing the number one spot from a group that had six European teams including Russia and Slovakia was just enough for Croatia to qualify for the FIFA Men's Football tournament scheduled to hold in Qatar come November 20, 2022. Croatia will be making their 6th appearance at the 22nd edition of the World cup since they gained independence. Apart from missing out in 1994 and 2010, Croatia has qualified for every single world cup since they broke out of Yugoslavia in 1991. This feat is a reflection of what the future holds for them in the tournament. Their best outing came in 2018 when they lost the finals to France in 2018. The "Checkered ones" as they are sometimes called will travel to Western Asia with the sole aim of correcting the mistakes made in Russia. Landing the most prestigious trophy in Men's football in the city's capital will be their top priority.

Croatia will be "partying" on the football pitch with Belgium, Canada, and Morocco in the group stage of the football tournament. While many will be quick at predicting a group stage qualification for both European countries in Group F. Canada and Morocco will sting hard given the slightest of chances. The group standing for countries in Group F has been drawn up alphabetically in the table below:

Save these dates drawn on the table if you are keen on the turnout of events for matches in Group F at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

After gaining admission into UEFA in 1993, Croatia made its first appearance in France 1998. Defeating the Netherlands to clinch the 3rd Position was a significant achievement for the first-timer. As if that wasn't close enough, Croatia endured a 4-2 defeat against France to settle for second place, a match so fiercely fought that one of their star players Luka Modrić was rewarded as the tournament's best player and then much later, winner of the 2018 Ballon d'Or. A comprehensive table showing Croatia's all-time involvement, the tournament's prize winner, and the stage achieved have been drawn up here:

Quite a handful of those who would be on the plane to represent Croatia are household names, and as a result of their brilliant performance on a weekly basis with their club sides. If these stars live up to the hype, then we might just be looking at a new World Cup winner. With the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perišić, Marcelo Brozovic, etc., the Croatian squad will have a message to pass across in Qatar.

• Star Players: Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovacic, Dejan Lovren, Nikola Vlasic;
• Players to Watch: Ante Budimir, Marko Livaja, Andrej Kramaric, Lovro Majer;
• Captain and Vice Captain: Luca Modric and Mateo Kovacic;
• World Cup Appearances (Last): 6 (2018);

This crop of players qualified Croatia for the last 4 of the 2022 UEFA Nations League. They could eventually go on to reach the finals or even win the trophy. Time will tell. Their likely starting eleven in Qatar is penned accordingly:

Formation: 4-3-3 (Left to Right) Dominic Livakovic, Borna Barisic, D. Lovren, Josco Gvardiol, Josip Stanisic, Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic, Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić, Ante Budimir, Nikola Vlasic.

Extras: Lovro Majer, Marko Livaja, Boma Sosa, Andrej Kramaric, Mario Pasalic, Lovre Kalinic, Bruno Petkovic, Mislav Orsic.

Having led the Checkered ones to second place in their last World Cup in Russia, Croatia has renewed their faith in Zlatko Dalic who took over from Ante Čačić on 7th October 2017 following his sacking after a poor run of results. The Croatian-born tactician has had significant successes in the past at the club level, no wonder he caught the attention of the Croatian Football Federation. 

• Manager (Nationality): Zlatko Dalic (Croatia);
• Date Hired: 7th Oct 2017;
• Record as National Team Manager: (Competition and Friendlies);
• 26W - 12D - 15L;
• Major Titles Since Hire: None;
• Notable Victories: 3 - 0 vs Argentina, 7 - 1 vs Malta, 4 - 0 vs Slovakia, 2 - 0 vs Nigeria;

Croatia will need no formal introduction when the competition begins officially. With their record in Russia 2018, a smooth qualification route, and impressive performances in other European competitions, opponents at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar would need to be wary of the Vatreni. Though they may not be the bookie's favorite to win the trophy, judging by the confidence exhibited by the Croatian squad, then we may just have a World Cup full of surprises in our hands.