Luka Modric Still Central as Croatia Plan World Cup 2018 Repeat
Croatia head into world cup 2018 with Luka Modric still central to the plan, even at 40, and Zlatko Dalic leaning toward a back four for the 2026 World Cup. The captain is still expected to steer the midfield, and he should pass the 200-cap mark in North America.
Croatia reached the tournament by topping their qualifying group with one game to spare. Czechia was the only side in the group to take at least a draw off them, a reminder that the qualifying run was controlled even before Dalic began testing shape again.
Dalic and the back four
Dalic said after Croatia beat the Faroe Islands last November, "I will never try to play with three at the back again." He later tried that shape in March friendlies against Colombia and Brazil, and the results split the argument: Croatia beat Colombia 2-1 before losing to Brazil 1-3.
That leaves the coach inclined to go back to a four-man defense for the World Cup. Croatia are expected to use either a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, with the structure built around Modric and the veterans around him.
Modric at 40
Modric turned 40 and still carries the biggest load in midfield. He scored his 29th international goal in a warm-up match against Slovenia, and his club move in 2025 has not dimmed his role: after leaving Real Madrid, he joined Milan and has been their best player by some distance.
The age profile around him is part of the story. Mateo Kovacic is 32, Ivan Perisic is 37 and Andrej Kramaric is turning 35, so Croatia’s core remains heavily built on experienced players while younger options have to fit in quickly.
Croatia’s group schedule
The opening month in North America will test that mix immediately. Croatia play England in Dallas on 17 June, Panama in Toronto on 23 June and Ghana in Philadelphia on 27 June, with Dalic entering his ninth year in charge and carrying the weight of a silver medal from the 2018 World Cup in Russia and a bronze medal from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Luka Vuskovic gives Dalic one of the clearest signs of a next wave. The centre-back is described as a ball-playing, playmaking, scoring defender who is dominant in the air, and he has led every age group he has played in. Croatia need that kind of readiness behind the old guard, because the margin for mistakes narrows fast once the tournament starts on 11 June.
