You won't be able to escape them in Dallas
In the summer of 2026, Dallas will become an unlikely crossroads of national identity and sporting legacy, as Croatia — a small nation of four million — arrives at the FIFA World Cup carrying nearly a decade of continuity, led by a 40-year-old captain entering his fifth tournament. Luka Modrić and coach Zlatko Dalić represent something increasingly rare in modern football: a sustained vision that has already produced a final and a third-place finish. For the 1.2 million Croatians living across the United States, this tournament is not merely a sporting event but a homecoming of sorts — a chance to celebrate who they are without crossing an ocean.
- Croatia enters the 2026 World Cup as one of the most experienced squads in the field, with much of its 2018 finalist core still intact and hungry for a final deep run.
- The weight of time presses quietly on this team — Modrić will be 40 and a half when he faces England on June 17, making every match a potential farewell to a generation.
- An estimated 1.2 million Croatian-Americans are expected to descend on Dallas, threatening to turn AT&T Stadium and the surrounding city into a sea of red and white checkers.
- FC Dallas striker Petar Musa bridges the local and the global, giving North Texas fans a familiar face to root for when Croatia takes the field.
- Analysts and insiders like journalist Daniela Rogulj project a quarterfinal run, framing Croatia not as underdogs but as seasoned professionals who have navigated this stage before.
Dallas will host one of international football's most enduring teams this summer, as Croatia arrives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a continuity that sets it apart. The core group that reached the final in 2018 is largely still together, still guided by coach Zlatko Dalić, and still captained by Luka Modrić — who will be 40 and a half years old when he leads his country against England on June 17 at AT&T Stadium. It will be his fifth World Cup appearance.
Modrić, who won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player in 2018, remains the face of Croatian football. Under Dalić, the national team has achieved its two greatest World Cup finishes — second in 2018, third in 2022 — and the manager has held the role since 2017. Daniela Rogulj, a journalist who has followed the team throughout that era, expects this experienced squad to reach the quarterfinals and plans to be in Dallas to watch them compete.
What may define the tournament as much as the football itself is the crowd. An estimated 1.2 million Croatians live in the United States — nearly a third of Croatia's entire population — and many are expected to travel to Dallas for the matches. Rogulj anticipates the city will be visibly transformed: singing in the streets, checkerboard jerseys in every bar, a diaspora community seizing a rare chance to celebrate their homeland on familiar ground.
There is also a local thread woven into the story. Petar Musa, a striker on Croatia's 2026 roster, currently plays for FC Dallas in MLS and is among the league's top scorers — meaning some Dallas fans may already know his name before he ever pulls on the national jersey. The tournament opens June 11 in Mexico. Croatia's first match follows six days later, and with it, the question of whether a veteran generation has one more deep run left in them.
In a few months, Dallas will host one of international soccer's most resilient teams. Croatia arrives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with something rare in tournament football: continuity. The core group that reached the final eight years ago is still here, still competing, still led by the same coach and captain who have become fixtures of the modern game.
Luka Modrić will be 40 and a half years old when he takes the field for Croatia's opening match on June 17 against England at AT&T Stadium. It will be his fifth World Cup. The midfielder, who won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player in 2018, remains the face of Croatian football—a captain who has outlasted most of his peers and continues to drive his country forward. Alongside him stands Zlatko Dalić, the manager who has been steering the national team since 2017. Under Dalić's leadership, Croatia has achieved its two finest World Cup finishes: second place in 2018 and third place in 2022. The continuity is striking. Most of the players who made that 2018 final run are still wearing the red and white checkerboard.
Daniela Rogulj, who covers Croatian football for Total Croatia News and has followed the national team since 2017, expects this veteran squad to reach the quarterfinals in 2026. She will be in Dallas for the matches, watching a team that has proven it knows how to compete on the world's biggest stage. The experience matters. These are not young players learning on the fly; they are seasoned professionals who have been here before.
What may matter even more is who will be watching. An estimated 1.2 million Croatians live in the United States—a striking figure when you consider that Croatia's entire population is around 4 million. Many of them are expected to converge on Dallas for the matches. Rogulj anticipates the city will be transformed by Croatian supporters, their presence unmistakable. "You'll find them singing. You'll notice them drinking. You'll notice just how passionate and prideful they are," she said. The red and white checkers will be everywhere—in bars, in the streets, at the stadium. For a diaspora community, a World Cup on home soil is a rare chance to celebrate their country without traveling across an ocean.
The local connection runs deeper still. Petar Musa, a striker on the 2026 Croatian roster, plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer. He is currently tied for the league's leading goal scorer, which means Dallas fans may already be familiar with one of the players they will see representing Croatia in June.
The tournament begins on June 11 in Mexico. Croatia's first test comes six days later, when they face England in North Texas. For a team built on experience and led by a 40-year-old captain in his fifth World Cup, the stage is set. The question is whether that veteran core can deliver one more deep run.
Citações Notáveis
You still have the coach, Zlatko Dalić, and you still have captain and most famous Croatian footballer, Luka Modrić. He's 40 and a half years old, and he is leading Croatia to yet another World Cup.— Daniela Rogulj, sports editor for Total Croatia News
You'll find them singing. You'll notice them drinking. You'll notice just how passionate and prideful they are. And so I think you won't be able to escape them in Dallas, and it'll be a really, really great time.— Daniela Rogulj
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does it matter that most of the 2018 team is still together? Isn't that unusual?
Very. Most World Cup teams turn over significantly between tournaments. You lose players to retirement, injury, decline. That Croatia kept this core—especially Modrić and Dalić—suggests something about their culture and their commitment to sustained excellence.
Modrić is 40 and a half. How does a player that age compete at the highest level?
He's not the player he was in 2018, but he doesn't need to be. He's a midfielder, not a sprinter. His intelligence, his positioning, his ability to control a game—those don't fade as quickly as pure athleticism. And he's playing in Saudi Arabia now, where the pace is different. He's adapted.
What's the significance of 1.2 million Croatians in the U.S.?
It's a massive diaspora. For context, that's 30 percent of Croatia's entire population living abroad, mostly here. When the World Cup comes to North Texas, it's not just a sporting event for them—it's a homecoming of sorts. They get to support their country without leaving the country.
Will that home-field advantage actually help Croatia?
Psychologically, yes. Playing in front of your own diaspora, hearing your language, seeing your flag—it matters. But England will have supporters there too. It's not like playing in Zagreb. Still, every bit helps.
What does Rogulj's prediction of a quarterfinal finish tell us?
She's being realistic but optimistic. Croatia is not a favorite, but they're not a dark horse either. They have the experience and the talent to beat most teams on a given day. A quarterfinal is a respectable outcome for a team this age.
Is this Modrić's last World Cup?
Almost certainly. He'll be 41 by the end of the tournament. If he plays beyond this, it would be extraordinary. This is likely his final chance to add to his legacy.