Croatia names World Cup squad with Luka Modric set for his fifth tournament
Coach Zlatko Dalic kept the 40-year-old captain in a 26-man roster that includes seven stand-by players and could make Modric a 200-cap international.
- On Monday, May 18, 2026, Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic named his 26-man roster for the 2026 World Cup, featuring 40-year-old captain Luka Modric, who is set to compete in his fifth global tournament.
- Building on a history that includes a 2018 runner-up finish and a third-place finish in 2022, the squad prepares for Group L, where they kick off their campaign against England on June 17.
- Although Modric suffered a cheekbone fracture last month, he is expected to recover in time for the tournament, where the midfielder aims to reach the milestone of 200 international appearances.
- Dalic supplemented the roster with seven stand-by players, ensuring depth alongside seasoned professionals like Ivan Perisic, Josko Gvardiol, and Mateo Kovacic for upcoming matches across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
- This tournament is expected to be Modric's final major international competition, marking the end of an era for the player who won the 2018 Ballon d'Or and has represented Croatia since 2006.
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Official Announcement: 41-Year-Old Modric to Give It His All... Promising a Masked Fight Like Son Heung-min 4 Years Ago; Record of 5 World Cup Appearances Confirmed. OSEN = Reporter Ko Seong-hwan. This time, it really appears it will be his last. Luka Modric, 41, will grace the stage of AC Milan's 5th World Cup. Even a fractured cheekbone is his...
Modrić previously played in tournaments in 2006, 2014, 2018, and 2022. He only missed the 2010 World Cup, for which Croatia failed to qualify. Croatia finished runners-up in 2018 and finished third four years later. These are remarkable achievements considering the country has a population of just four million. Ronaldo, Messi, and Ochoa could break the record. Only eight players have previously appeared at five World Cups. From this elite group,…
The Croatian team announced this Monday the list of 26 players called for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held from June 11 to July 19 in Mexico, Canada and the United States. Technician Zlatko Dalic confirmed the presence of Luka Modric, who at the age of 40 will play the fifth World Cup of his career. Meanwhile, his Mexican contemporaneous Guillermo ‘Memo’ Ochoa, of the same age, goes for his sixth World Cup: he is in the concentration of th…
Croatia national football team head coach Zlatko Dalic on Monday named a 26-man squad for the World Cup finals, which also includes the tireless Luka Modric.
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