Croatia’s 2026 World Cup Roster Announced | OneFootball

The Croatia national team announced on Monday the list of 26 players called up for the 2026 World Cup, a tournament that will take place from June 11 to July 19 in Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

Coach Zlatko Dalić confirmed the presence of Luka Modric, who, at 40, will play in his fifth World Cup. The AC Milan midfielder will once again be the captain and main reference for the Croatian team in a squad that blends players with international experience and young European stars.

Modric made his debut with the national team in 2006 and currently is the player with the most international appearances in Croatia’s history, with 196 caps. He could also reach the mark of 200 appearances with the national team during the World Cup tournament.

The Real Madrid legend won the Ballon d’Or in 2018, the year he ended the dominance that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo maintained in the individual award.

Modric suffered a fractured cheekbone last month, but he is expected to be available for Croatia’s 2026 World Cup debut against England on June 17.

Who Is On Croatia’s 2026 World Cup Squad?

Coach Dalić also called up Ivan Perišić, a forward who has scored in the last three World Cups.

The list also includes players with international experience, such as goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, defender Josko Gvardiol, midfielders Mateo Kovacić and Mario Pašalić, and forward Andrej Kramarić.

The squad also includes two MLS players, Petar Musa from FC Dallas and Marco Pašalić from Orlando City. Both call-ups are understandable. Musa, for his part, already has more goal contributions than games played this MLS season, with 12 goals and two assists after 13 games.

Pašalić is having a slightly more modest campaign, with two goals after nine games, but last season he recorded 15 goals and six assists across all competitions.

Among the young players called up, Luka Vuskovic stands out, one of the most outstanding players in the Bundesliga this season with Hamburg, a club where he played on loan from Tottenham. Another name on the squad list is Martin Baturina, an attacking midfielder for Italian club Como, coached by former Spanish player Cesc Fabregas.

Among the called-up players, several from the Spanish league stand out. Luka Sucic, a Real Sociedad midfielder, is part of the squad along with his teammate Duje Caleta-Car, who played this season on loan at the Txuri-Urdin club from Lyon. Ante Budimir, Osasuna’s forward, was also called up.

Full List of Croatia’s World Cup 2026 Squad:

Goalkeepers:

Defenders:

Midfielders:

Forwards:

Reserve players for Croatia: