Croatia

Croatia, with its capital in Zagreb and a population of 3.9 million, is known for the Dalmatian Coast, Dubrovnik (King's Landing), truffle hunting, and football passion. The necktie was invented in Croatia — the word 'cravat' derives from 'Croat', after Croatian mercenaries who wore distinctive knotted scarves in 17th century France.

In football, the Vatreni (The Blazers) are a 6-time World Cup participant with their best result being Runners-up (2018, 2022). Their World Cup journey began in 1998, and they enter the 2026 tournament with Luka Modrić as their talisman under head coach Zlatko Dalić. Croatia, a nation of under 4 million people, reached two consecutive World Cup finals (2018, 2022) and a semi-final (1998) — the greatest per-capita football achievement in history.

SeatNav's Power Index rates Croatia at 7.6 out of 10, ranking them #8 overall and classifying them as a genuine contender. In Group L, they face Belgium, Austria, Uruguay in what has been categorized as a highly competitive group (difficulty 9/10).

Croatia supporters traveling to the 2026 World Cup can look forward to matches across multiple host cities in the United States. Follow SeatNav for ticket availability, venue guides, and match day information as the tournament approaches.