National football team coach sets squad ahead of international friendlies

National football team coach Zlatko Dalić has called up 26 players, along with nine standbys, for upcoming friendlies in Orlando, Florida, later this month, in a tournament being dubbed “the Road to ’26.”

Croatia will face Colombia on May 26 and Brazil on May 31.

“Our players live for the World Cup and they have enormous motivation,” said Dalić. “I hope they will arrive in the best possible form, with a positive mindset and, above all, in good health. These matches in the United States will serve as a great test to see where we stand three months before the World Cup and what we need to focus on during preparations. At the same time, we will use those ten days in Orlando to strengthen the team spirit that has always been our advantage compared to other nations.”

Dalić added: “By issuing a larger number of preliminary call-ups, we want to show that we are monitoring many serious candidates for the national team, some of whom are also part of the U-21 side, which has a very important match against Turkey. There are still many matches before the World Cup and plenty of opportunities for all candidates to earn their place through form, performance, and energy — the national team doors are not closed to anyone.”

Croatia has played Brazil five times, with the most memorable clash coming at the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-final, when the Vatreni won a thrilling match after a penalty shootout.

Their first meeting was a friendly in Split in 2005, which ended 1–1. A year later, Brazil won 1–0 in their opening match of the 2006 World Cup. They also defeated Croatia 3–1 in the 2014 World Cup opener and 2–0 in a 2018 friendly in Liverpool. Croatia, however, has never faced Colombia before.

Croatia’s first match of the 2026 World Cup will be against England on June 17.