Luka Modric Named in Croatia's World Cup Squad Despite Facial Injury

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic has officially included talismanic midfielder Luka Modric in his 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup, despite a recent injury scare. The 40-year-old AC Milan playmaker is currently recovering from a fractured cheekbone sustained during a head collision against Juventus in late April.

ollowing a successful surgery, Modric has returned to light training while sporting a protective facial mask. Coach Dalic expressed full confidence in his captain’s recovery timeline, suggesting the forced hiatus might actually work in their favor.

“He’s training with a mask and doing well. Maybe this break helped him. We’ll see his condition, but I don’t doubt him. He’ll be in good form.” — Zlatko Dalic, Croatia Coach

The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner—who previously guided Croatia to a World Cup final in 2018 and a third-place finish in 2022—is now set to feature in his fifth World Cup tournament.

Gvardiol and Premier League Stars Included

In another major injury boost, Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol has made the final roster. The 24-year-old has been sidelined with a broken shin since January, but Dalic intends to use Croatia’s pre-tournament warm-up fixtures to get the center-back up to match fitness before the June 11 kickoff.

The squad also features plenty of English football connections:

Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City)
Ivor Pandur (Hull City)
Nikola Vlasic (Torino, formerly Everton and West Ham)
Ivan Perisic (PSV Eindhoven, formerly Tottenham)

Croatia’s Group L Schedule & Strategy

Croatia faces a highly competitive draw in Group L, starting their campaign with a blockbuster opening match against England in Arlington, Texas.

Date	Opponent	Venue	Tactical Approach
17 June	England	Dallas Stadium	Defensive, midfield-heavy structure
TBD	Panama	TBD	Attack-oriented game plan
TBD	Ghana	TBD	Attack-oriented game plan

Official Croatia 2026 World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb)
Dominik Kotarski (Copenhagen)
Ivor Pandur (Hull City)

Defenders

Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City)
Duje Caleta-Car (Real Sociedad)
Josip Sutalo (Ajax Amsterdam)
Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich)
Marin Pongracic (Fiorentina)
Martin Erlic (Midtjylland)
Luka Vuskovic (Hamburg)

Midfielders

Luka Modric (AC Milan)
Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City)
Mario Pasalic (Atalanta)
Nikola Vlasic (Torino)
Luka Sucic (Real Sociedad)
Martin Baturina (Como)
Kristijan Jakic (Augsburg)
Petar Sucic (Inter Milan)
Nikola Moro (Bologna)
Toni Fruk (Rijeka)

Forwards

Ivan Perisic (PSV Eindhoven)
Andrey Kramaric (Hoffenheim)
Ante Budimir (Osasuna)
Marco Pasalic (Orlando City)
Petar Musa (Dallas)
Igor Matanovic (Freiburg)

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