Croatia may be journeying to the World Cup with a relatively unheralded coach in Zlatko Dalić, but there is not much new about the personnel that he will be leading in Russia, with no fewer than 17 of the 23 players having been part of the country’s Euro 2016 squad.
Croatia were somewhat unfortunate to crash out in the round of 16 to eventual winners Portugal two years ago, a late extra-time goal sealing the premature fate of Ante Čačić’s enterprising side after they had memorably beaten holders Spain to top their group. Now, with practically the same team, headed by skipper Luka Modrić, they have an opportunity to make amends – not just for Euro 2016 but for their last three World Cup finals appearances, each of which brought a group stage exit.
Croatia will have one of the most experienced squads present at the World Cup, and the international careers of the 23 players who will represent them in Russia have been subjected to my fine toothcomb, with several revelations pointed out below.
I am compiling similar information on the other 13 European teams in the build-up to the Big Kick-off on Thursday, June 14. Most of the other articles are already on the site.
Here is the Croatia squad with the players’ current club, caps and goals:
Goalkeepers
Lovre Kalinić (Gent, 11/0), Dominik Livaković (Dinamo Zagreb, 1/0), Danijel Šubašić (Monaco, 38/0),
Defenders
Duje Ćaleta-Car (Salzburg, 1/0), Vedran Ćorluka (Lokomotiv Moscow, 99/4), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen, 12/0), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool, 39/2), Josip Pivarić (Dynamo Kiev, 19/0), Ivan Strinić (Sampdoria, 43/0), Domagoj Vida (Beşiktaş, 59/2), Šime Vrsaljko (Atlético Madrid, 35/0)
Midfielders
Milan Badelj (Fiorentina, 38/1), Filip Bradarić (Hajduk Split, 4/0), Marcelo Brozović (Internazionale, 35/6), Mateo Kovačić (Real Madrid, 41/1), Luka Modrić (Real Madrid, 106/12), Ivan Perišić (Internazionale, 66/18), Marko Pjaca (Schalke, 16/1), Ivan Rakitić (Barcelona, 92/14)
Forwards
Nikola Kalinić (Milan, 42/15), Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim, 31/9), Mario Mandžukić (Juventus, 83/30), Ante Rebić (Fiorentina, 16/1)
The total number of international caps gained by the 23 players is 927. The number of caps gained in competitive fixtures (i.e. World Cup and Euro matches) is 581. The number of caps gained at final tournaments is 106. The number of caps gained at the World Cup finals is 28.
The total number of international goals scored by the 23 players is 116. The number of goals scored in competitive fixtures is 72. The number of goals scored at final tournaments is 13. The number of goals scored at the World Cup finals is 4.
The number of players in the squad appearing at their first final tournament is 4. The number of players appearing at their first World Cup is 10.
There are 17 survivors from the Euro 2016 squad: L. Kalinić, Šubašić, Ćorluka, Jedvaj, Strinić, Vida, Vrsaljko, Badelj, Brozović, Kovačić, Modrić, Perišić, Pjaca, Rakitić, N. Kalinić, Kramarić and Mandžukić.
There are 13 survivors from the 2014 World Cup squad: Šubašić, Ćorluka, Lovren, Vida, Vrsaljko, Badelj, Brozović, Kovačić, Modrić, Perišić, Rakitić, Mandžukić and Rebić.
There are 11 survivors from the Euro 2012 squad: Šubašić, Ćorluka, Strinić, Vida, Vrsaljko, Badelj, Modrić, Perišić, Rakitić, N. Kalinić and Mandžukić.
There are 4 survivors from the Euro 2008 squad: Ćorluka, Modrić, Rakitić and N. Kalinić
There is 1 survivor from the 2006 World Cup squad: Modrić.
Modrić is attending his sixth final tournament (and his third World Cup). Two other members of the squad – Ćorluka and Rakitić – will be travelling to their fifth, while it is a fourth for seven others – Šubašić, Vida, Vrsaljko, Badelj, Perišić, N. Kalinić and Mandžukić.
Ćorluka and Modrić have played the most final tournament matches: 14 apiece, with double figures having also been reached by two other players – Rakitić (13) and Perišić (10).
Modrić has played five matches at the World Cup finals – the most in the squad. Mandžukić has made the most appearances in World Cup matches (finals and qualifierscombined) with 33, followed by Rakitić (31) and Modrić (30).
Three squad members have yet to appear in a competitive international – Livaković, Ćaleta-Car and Bradarić. Every other player selected for Russia was involved in 2018 World Cup qualifying.
Nine players have appeared in over 25 competitive internationals. Their records are as follows:
Modrić – Pld 69 W39 D17! L13 (of which at final tournaments Pld 14 W5 D5! L4)
Ćorluka – Pld 67 W43 D13! L11 (Pld 14 W7 D3! L4)
Rakitić – Pld 63 W38 D15! L10 (Pld 13 W6 D3! L4)
Mandžukić – Pld 58 W31 D14 L13 (Pld 8 W3 D2 L3)
Perišić – Pld 45 W22 D12 L11 (Pld 10 W4 D2 L4)
Vida – Pld 35 W18 D9 L8 (Pld 4 W1 D1 L2)
N.Kalinić – Pld 28 W15 D4 L9 (Pld 3 W2 D0 L1)
Kovačić – Pld 26 W15 D5 L6 (Pld 5 W2 D1 L2)
Strinić – Pld 26 W13 D6 L7 (Pld 6 W2 D2 L2)
! draw followed by penalty shoot-out defeat
Not one of the players in the squad is undefeated in competitive internationals. Only Jedvaj is unbeaten at final tournaments (W1 D0).
Mandžukić is the squad’s leading scorer in competitive internationals, with 19 goals, followed by Perišić, on 13, and Modrić on 10. In terms of World Cup goals, Mandžukić leads the way with his tally of 12, with Perišić joined by Rakitić in second place on five.
Mandžukić and Perišić are the only players in the squad to have scored at the World Cup finals, each of them having found the net twice in 2014.
All of Nikola Kalinić’s seven competitive goals and all of Kramarić’s five have come in victories. Additionally, Croatia have never lost a competitive match in which either Modrić or Rakitić have scored.
Vida was the only player to feature in all 12 of Croatia’s 2018 World Cup qualifiers, including the two play-off matches against Greece. Furthermore, he was on the field for every minute. Perišić, Mandžukić and Brozović appeared in 11 of the 12 games, Perišić in each case from the start.
Mandžukić was Croatia’s top scorer in 2018 World Cup qualifying with five goals from a team tally of 19. Nine players in total (including one, Matej Mitrović, who did not make the squad) found the net, with Nikola Kalinić and Kramarić both scoring three.
Modrić made his senior international debut against Group D rivals Argentina in Basel in March 2006 – a game Croatia won 3-2.
Lovre Kalinić also made his Croatia debut in a friendly against Argentina on neutral terrain –at Upton Park, London in November 2014 (lost 1-2). Jedvaj, Vrsaljko and Kovačić also played in that game.
Croatia have met Iceland in qualifying for both the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. Three players featured in all four matches – Modrić, Perišić and Mandžukić.
Mandžukić scored and was sent off against Iceland in the home qualifier for the 2014 World Cup. Perišić was also red-carded in the equivalent fixture for the 2018 World Cup. Both games finished 2-0, with Brozović scoring both goals – his only international double – in the latter.
None of the 23 players have faced Nigeria.
There are just two players from Croatian clubs in the 23-man party. The other 21 operate in ten other European leagues, with only Serie A, La Liga and the Bundesliga providing more than one player.
Real Madrid, Fiorentina and Internazionale are the only clubs providing more than one player (two apiece).
The Russian Premier League is represented by Ćorluka, who won the 2017/18 title with Lokomotiv Moscow.
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