Leading by 3 points + 15 goal difference! Croatia is basically locked into the World Cup. The 40-year-old Magic Flute has 1 goal and 2 assists in 6 games.
In the 8th round of Group L of the European Group Stage of the World Cup Preliminaries, Croatia defeated Gibraltar 3-0 at home, ranking first in the group with 5 wins and 1 draw in 6 games, leading by 3 points + 15 goal difference, and basically locking in the 2026 World Cup!
World European Preliminary Group L, Croatia is first in the group with 16 points from 6 games, and the Czech Republic is second in the group with 13 points from 7 games. The Czech Republic has only one last game left, which will be against bottom-placed Gibraltar. It is currently 3 points behind Croatia with a goal difference of 15, so Croatia has basically locked in a spot in the 2026 World Cup.
Croatia has two World Cup preliminaries left, facing the Faroe Islands at home and Montenegro away. Croatia can secure first place with one more point.
In this World European Preliminary, the 40-year-old Croatian captain Modric played in all 6 games and scored 1 goal and 2 assists.