Dalić to extend his contract to EURO 2028?

According to unconfirmed reports from domestic sports media, Zlatko Dalić will most likely stay on to coach the Croatian national football team after the 2026 World Cup in North America (USA, Canada and Mexico).

Although his contract runs until the end of that tournament, the Croatian Football Federation believes that coach Zlatko Dalić will remain on the bench for Euro 2028. Apparently the president of the Federation Marijan Kustić and Dalić are currently in negotiations regarding the extension of his contract. As it stands now, everything indicates that whatever the result in North America, Dalić will make the final decision as to whether he will extend his tenure as Croatia’s coach or not.

Dalić recently marked his 100th match on the bench in his eight years at the helm. Under his leadership the national team has won three major medals – the 2018 World Cup silver, the 2022 World Cup bronze, and one Nations League silver medal.

Dalić and his team have already all but mathematically qualified for the 2026 World Cup. What awaits now are two more qualifying matches against the Faroe Islands and Montenegro and several friendlies ahead of the World Cup. However, after the World Cup, he will have to completely overhaul the national team, as it is one of the oldest teams in Europe, and there is widespread speculation that national team captain Luka Modrić could retire.

The team’s next big goal will be to qualify for Euro 2028 in Great Britain and Ireland, where Dalić will try to achieve a better result than at previous European championships. In spite of strong World Cup performances, Croatia has never advanced past the quarter-finals (1996 and 2008).

Source: HRT