Croatia entered the 2018 World Cup as dark horses, with their golden generation led by forward Mario Mandžukić and midfielders Marcelo Brozović, Mateo Kovačić, Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić, and Ivan Rakitić.
The team had been eliminated in the group stage at the 2014 tournament, but reached the round of 16 at Euro 2016.
In their qualification group, Croatia scored 15 goals and finished second to Iceland after appointing manager Zlatko Dalić amid a series of poor away results.
However, Croatia managed to advance past Greece in the qualifying play-offs, winning the first leg 4–1 and drawing 0–0 in the second.

Croatia were drawn into Group D with Argentina, Iceland, and Nigeria, considered a difficult draw due to Argentina's talent and Nigeria's historic performances.
In their opening match, the team earned a 2–0 victory over Nigeria, with an own goal by Oghenekaro Etebo caused by Mandžukić and a penalty scored by Modrić.
Striker Nikola Kalinić refused to enter the match as a substitute, citing back pain as his reason for not playing, and was expelled from the team by Dalić, leaving Croatia with only 22 players for the remainder of the tournament.
Croatia went on to upset Argentina with a 3–0 win, thanks to an effective game plan that used the "height and strength of their players to dominate the game in aerial duels", playing a "pressing game, counter-attacking, and more direct play in possession" to counter Lionel Messi, scoring all their goals in the second half.
Croatia finished atop the group with a 2–1 win over Iceland, resting several starting players in the final group match.

In the round of 16, Croatia played Denmark and earned a 1–1 draw after the two teams exchanged goals in the opening five minutes and a missed penalty from Modrić in extra time.
Croatia won the subsequent penalty shootout 3–2, with three saves by goalkeeper Danijel Subašić and two saves by Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
The team advanced to a quarter-final fixture with hosts Russia, who had defeated Spain in the round of 16, in Sochi.
The Russians scored their first in the 31st minute, but Andrej Kramarić equalised for Croatia eight minutes later and kept the score at 1–1 through the end of regular time.
Croatia took a 2–1 lead in the 101st minute with a header by Domagoj Vida, but Russian defender Mário Fernandes equalised five minutes before the end of extra time to trigger a penalty shootout.
The shootout was won 4–3 by Croatia after two misses by Russia and a shot by Modrić that rebounded into the goal off Akinfeev's arm and the post.
Croatia became the second team in World Cup to win two shootouts in a tournament, after Argentina in 1990.
After the match, a video of Vida shouting "Glory to Ukraine" prompted controversy among Russians and a warning from FIFA's disciplinary committee, which enforces a ban on political slogans.
Croatia's semi-final match against England at the Luzhniki began as they conceded a free kick goal by English defender Kieran Trippier in the fifth minute.
Croatia resisted several attempts by England to score a second goal in the first half.
Croatia managed an equalising goal of their own through a shot by Perišić in the 68th minute.
The match was won 2–1 by Croatia after a 109th-minute goal by Mandžukić.
This made Croatia the first team to earn three come-from-behind victories in the FIFA World Cup, all three matches also going into extra time.
Croatia entered the 2018 World Cup as dark horses, with their golden generation led by forward Mario Mandžukić and midfielders Marcelo Brozović, Mateo Kovačić, Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić, and Ivan Rakitić. The team had been eliminated in the group stage at the 2014 tournament, but reached the round of 16 at Euro 2016. In their qualification group, Croatia scored 15 goals and finished second to Iceland after appointing manager Zlatko Dalić amid a series of poor away results. However, Croatia managed to advance past Greece in the qualifying play-offs, winning the first leg 4–1 and drawing 0–0 in the second.
Croatia were drawn into Group D with Argentina, Iceland, and Nigeria, considered a difficult draw due to Argentina's talent and Nigeria's historic performances. In their opening match, the team earned a 2–0 victory over Nigeria, with an own goal by Oghenekaro Etebo caused by Mandžukić and a penalty scored by Modrić. Striker Nikola Kalinić refused to enter the match as a substitute, citing back pain as his reason for not playing, and was expelled from the team by Dalić, leaving Croatia with only 22 players for the remainder of the tournament. Croatia went on to upset Argentina with a 3–0 win, thanks to an effective game plan that used the "height and strength of their players to dominate the game in aerial duels", playing a "pressing game, counter-attacking, and more direct play in possession" to counter Lionel Messi, scoring all their goals in the second half. Croatia finished atop the group with a 2–1 win over Iceland, resting several starting players in the final group match.
In the round of 16, Croatia played Denmark and earned a 1–1 draw after the two teams exchanged goals in the opening five minutes and a missed penalty from Modrić in extra time. Croatia won the subsequent penalty shootout 3–2, with three saves by goalkeeper Danijel Subašić and two saves by Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. The team advanced to a quarter-final fixture with hosts Russia, who had defeated Spain in the round of 16, in Sochi. The Russians scored their first in the 31st minute, but Andrej Kramarić equalised for Croatia eight minutes later and kept the score at 1–1 through the end of regular time. Croatia took a 2–1 lead in the 101st minute with a header by Domagoj Vida, but Russian defender Mário Fernandes equalised five minutes before the end of extra time to trigger a penalty shootout. The shootout was won 4–3 by Croatia after two misses by Russia and a shot by Modrić that rebounded into the goal off Akinfeev's arm and the post. Croatia became the second team in World Cup to win two shootouts in a tournament, after Argentina in 1990. After the match, a video of Vida shouting "Glory to Ukraine" prompted controversy among Russians and a warning from FIFA's disciplinary committee, which enforces a ban on political slogans. Croatia's semi-final match against England at the Luzhniki began as they conceded a free kick goal by English defender Kieran Trippier in the fifth minute. Croatia resisted several attempts by England to score a second goal in the first half. Croatia managed an equalising goal of their own through a shot by Perišić in the 68th minute. The match was won 2–1 by Croatia after a 109th-minute goal by Mandžukić. This made Croatia the first team to earn three come-from-behind victories in the FIFA World Cup, all three matches also going into extra time.
2018 FIFA World Cup Final