There are certain moments when being Croatian-American stops being a background detail and becomes the whole story. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is one of them.
For those of us who grew up with the red and white checkered flag as part of our identity — on walls, on jerseys, in the particular way our families gathered around a television for international football — this summer feels significant in a way that goes beyond sport. Croatia is back on the world stage, competing on North American soil for the first time, and for the Croatian diaspora scattered across this continent, that means something.
I’ll be following the Vatreni across two cities this summer. Here’s everything you need to know — and why this is the World Cup moment worth paying attention to.
The Squad
Croatia arrives at the 2026 World Cup having already proven themselves one of the most remarkable footballing nations in the world relative to their size. Runners-up at Russia 2018. Third place at Qatar 2022. A qualifying campaign for this tournament that was nothing short of dominant — seven wins from eight matches, 26 goals scored, four conceded.
At the center of it all, as he has been for nearly two decades, is Luka Modrić. At 40 years old, this is his fifth World Cup. The greatest Croatian footballer of all time and arguably one of the greatest midfielders the sport has ever produced — still playing, still leading, still worth watching every single minute he’s on the pitch. If you’ve never watched Croatia play specifically to watch Modrić, this is your summer to start.
Alongside him, Mateo Kovačić and Ivan Perišić anchor a squad that balances the experience of a golden generation with young talent ready to carry Croatia forward. This is a team in transition — but transitions, when managed well, produce some of the most compelling football there is.
The Matches — And Where I’ll Be
June 17 — England vs. Croatia, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
If you know your World Cup history, you know why this fixture matters. Croatia beat England 2-1 in the 2018 semifinal to reach their first ever final. Mario Mandžukić’s extra-time winner at the Luzhniki Stadium remains one of the most dramatic moments in recent World Cup history. England hasn’t forgotten. Neither has Croatia.
This is the match I’m most anticipating — the history between these two sides, the stakes of a group stage opener, the electric atmosphere of a crowd split between the English diaspora and the Croatian faithful. AT&T Stadium holds over 80,000 people. It will be loud.
June 23 — Panama vs. Croatia, BMO Field, Toronto
Toronto has one of the most vibrant Croatian communities in North America — the diaspora presence here will be felt from the moment you land. This is an overnight trip for me, and I’m approaching it as much as a cultural experience as a football one. The city, the community, the energy of Croatians gathering from across the continent for a World Cup match on Canadian soil.
June 27 — Croatia vs. Ghana, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
The final group stage match and potentially the one that determines Croatia’s path through the tournament. Philadelphia has its own energy — a sports city that understands what a big match atmosphere feels like. A day trip, but one worth making.
What Makes Croatia Worth Watching Beyond the Football
The Croatian story at this World Cup is about more than results. It’s about a nation of four million people consistently punching above its weight on the world’s biggest stage — and doing it with a style of play that is technical, passionate, and deeply collective.
It’s about Modrić writing the final chapters of one of football’s great careers in real time.
It’s about a diaspora that stretches from New York to Toronto to Sydney coming together around a shared identity that football, more than almost anything else, makes visible.
And for those of us who are Croatian-American — who grew up navigating the hyphen between two identities — it’s about watching the country that shaped half of who we are remind the world that it exists, that it competes, that it wins.
I’ll be posting from Toronto & Philly matches across Instagram @angelica_e and on Era En Vogue throughout the summer. Follow along.
