🇭🇷 Croatia

Dalic typically deploys a 4-3-3 with Kovacic as the box-to-box driver, Modric as the deep-lying playmaker, and Mario Pasalic or Luka Sucic as the third midfielder. Croatia build patiently from the back through Gvardiol, invite pressure, then exploit transitions with quick vertical passes. They are not a high-press team — they defend in a mid-block and rely on midfield quality to control tempo rather than intensity.

Watch Mateo Kovacic for the relentless engine work that makes Manchester City's midfield tick — his pressing triggers and forward carries are what give Croatia's build-up its tempo. Josko Gvardiol has become one of Europe's elite left-sided defenders, combining aggressive man-marking with the ability to drive forward from the back. And then there is Luka Modric, now at AC Milan in the twilight of a career that has redefined what a central midfielder can be — his spatial intelligence and touch remain extraordinary.

Croatia's midfield depth is genuinely elite: Kovacic, Modric, Pasalic, and the emerging Luka Sucic at Real Sociedad give Dalic options that most squads cannot match. Gvardiol's ability to carry the ball from deep adds a structural attacking dimension that bypasses the press.

The central striking position is a persistent concern — Andrej Kramaric is reliable but not a world-class finisher, and Petar Musa (FC Dallas) and Igor Matanovic (Freiburg) are unproven at this level. Croatia also depend heavily on Modric, now in his late thirties, and any dip in his performance directly reduces the team's creative output.