Have Croatia ever won the World Cup? Vatreni’s record analysed as Luka Modric faces Last Dance

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The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is on the horizon and HITC Sport is taking a look at Croatia’s record and if they have ever won the World Cup.

The Last Dance became a pandemic favourite as fans were given insight into Michael Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls.

There is a feeling that Croatia are entering their own Last Dance period with this likely to be Luka Modric’s final World Cup appearance.

The 37-year-old is still going strong but it’s hard to see him featuring into his 40’s.

Add in other 30-somethings in Dejan Lovren and Ivan Perisic and Croatia have one last shot with their star men.

Zlatko Dalic is again leading Croatia having guided them to the final in 2018 only to lose to France.

Belgium, Canada and Morocco await Croatia in Qatar and the team nicknamed ‘Vatreni’ – or ‘Blazers’ in English – will arrive as dark horses once again.

Have Croatia ever won the World Cup?

Despite producing some incredible players, Croatia haven’t yet won a World Cup.

That’s no great shame for a country that has a population just shy of four million; for context, London’s population is over twice that figure.

Since gaining independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Croatia have missed just two World Cups – the 1994 edition in the United States as Croatia weren’t an official FIFA member, and the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

Croatia’s first World Cup saw them come third at France 98 with Davor Suker dazzling as top goalscorer.

That was an amazing start for Croatia and one that promised so much more, but their next three appearance all ended in the group stage, winning just twice in nine games.

Croatia were then outstanding again in 2019 as they reached the final against France only to lose 4-2.

Dumping England out in the semi-finals was a huge achievement for Croatia and Modric won the Ballon d’Or in 2018 off the back of his World Cup heroics.

It seems that Croatia will either crash out in the group stage or reach the last four; they will be hoping for the latter this time around as Modric prepares to say goodbye.