Croatia World Cup 2018 squad and team guide

Luka Modric (right) and Ivan Rakitic (left) are Croatia's main stars
Luka Modric (right) and Ivan Rakitic (left) are Croatia's main stars Credit: reuters

Here we take a look at Croatia's World Cup squad and the other things it will be handy to know.

Croatia's preliminary World Cup squad - the 25 names

(To be cut to 23 by June 4)

Danijel Subasic, Lovre Kalinic, Dominik Livakovic; Vedran Corluka, Domagoj Vida, Ivan Strinic, Dejan Lovren, Sime Vrsaljko, Josip Pivaric, Tin Jedvaj, Matej Mitrovic, Duje Caleta-Car, Borna Sosa; Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Mateo Kovacic, Milan Badelj, Marcelo Brozovic, Filip Bradaric; Mario Mandzukic, Ivan Perisic, Nikola Kalinic, Andrej Kramaric, Marko Pjaca, Ante Rebic.

Croatia supporters wave their colours Credit: afp

What odds are Croatia to win the World Cup?

33/1

Who's the coach?

Unheralded Zlatko Dalić was parachuted in from UAE club football amid a stuttering qualification campaign and delivered play-off passage.

Who's the star?

Real Madrid's Luka Modric is a beautiful midfielder whose vision, passing and ability to prompt teammates is as good as it gets.

Best thing about them

Quality and experience all over the pitch, from 104-cap Modric to 90-cap Ivan Rakitić, the Barcelona midfielder, and powerful forward Mario Mandzukic of Juventus.

Worst thing about them

First XI looks a serious outfit but is not the youngest and there's a gulf in quality to the squad players.

You may recognise...

Dejan Lovren has markedly improved since Liverpool signed Virgil van Dijk alongside him at centre-half but remains a candidate for a big-match howler.

Cameramen will be picking out...

Fans in their splendid red-and-white cheesecloth, singing Europop. Croatia fans have an unusually large appetite for official team songs.

Fans' favourite chant

Hopefully nothing racist; Croatia have quite a bit of previous for this.

On-field prediction

Runners-up spot in group to precede narrow last-16 defeat by France.

Off-field prediction

Hopefully boisterous behaviour rather than beastly.