Luka Modric is the captain and most decorated player in Croatian football history, a Ballon d'Or winner celebrated for his passing, vision and longevity. He led Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final and a third-place finish in 2022. After a glittering Real Madrid career he joined AC Milan.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Won the Golden Ball as Croatia reached the 2018 World Cup final and finished third in 2022.
The favourites dominate the headlines, but World Cups are often defined by the teams nobody expected. We look at four dark horses for 2026, Morocco, Croatia, Uruguay and Japan, and why each could go further than the bookmakers suggest.