Croatia World Cup support grows around 2018 and 2022 podiums

Croatia World Cup support is heading into 2026 with the same edge that carried the team to second place in 2018 and third in 2022. Croatian fans are already planning for Arlington, Toronto and Philadelphia, and they are doing it with the belief that a country of barely four million people can still live on the sport’s biggest stage.

Marin Gabela on Croatia

Marin Gabela put that confidence plainly: "We’re a small country with a big heart". He added, "And we love to be the underdog. We’re not fearful of anyone."

That attitude has a home in Uvijek Vjerni, the official supporters’ club whose name means Always Faithful. Ante Kvartuc described the group’s meaning this way: "We’re a strong, religious, Catholic country, but we’re not just faithful to God. It’s in our DNA to take care of each other."

The 2026 tournament will spread Croatian support across three group games, and the traveling presence is expected to be visible in each city. At the previous World Cup in Qatar, the supporters’ group had around 25,000 members, and they carried a 200m long national flag through Doha. That image fits the scale of a following that has grown alongside the team’s results, not ahead of them.

Uvijek Vjerni in Doha

Vigo Mavrovic said most of the Croatians attending the World Cup will be wealthy because it is so expensive, but he still expects strong backing from home. "We are distinctive, loud and proud," he said. "Most of the Croatians attending the World Cup will be wealthy because it’s so expensive but back at home, the support will be strong."

He said he will watch at home or at the pub with Maraska Pelinkovac until early in the morning. In Zagreb, Ozujsko beer flows freely among Croatian supporters. In Split, supporters often drink bevanda, wine cut with water. The routines are different, but the pull is the same.

Luka Vuskovic gives hope

Lovre Nikolac pointed to 19-year-old Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Luka Vuskovic as a reason to be cheerful, and the team still has Luka Modric in the mix. The combination of youth and experience is part of why the mood around 2026 feels familiar rather than fragile.

For supporters, the practical reality is simple: the big following will not be limited to the stands in North America. Some will travel to Arlington, Toronto and Philadelphia. Others will watch from home or from pubs, but the expectation is the same as it has been since the last two podium runs — Croatia will show up, and so will its fans.