Croatia is only 22nd on the BBC's ranking of teams after the first round of the 2026 World Cup. The French are at the top, with England second, and Croatia third. Croatia lost to England 4-2 in the opening match.
The BBC believes that Croatia's defense has left too much space for opponents, while the team still relies heavily on veteran players. However, despite the loss, Croatia showed character by coming back twice from a losing position against one of the main favorites of the tournament.
Last result: Portugal 2-1 Croatia (2026-07-02). Recent form (last 5): 2W-0D-3L (LLWWL, most recent first); lost the last 2.
Next fixture: vs Czechia (away, 2026-09-26) (4th in the table).
Croatia will have the opportunity in the next matches to show that it deserves a much better ranking than 22nd. Wins against Ghana and Panama could completely change the perception of the Vultures and bring them back among the teams considered serious candidates for the final tournament.
