Dalic admits Croatia’s World Cup opener against England ‘can destroy everything’

The Guardian UK Monday 08 June 2026, 11:08 UTC By Nick Ames in Varazdin 1 min read

Key Points

Croatia head coach says England game crucial to hopesKovacic, Gvardiol and Modric lacking match sharpnessZlatko Dalic sees Croatia’s World Cup opener against England as pivotal to their summer fortunes, admitting a softer first match may have been preferable for a team struggling with form and fitness issues. Croatia beat Slovenia 2-1 in their final friendly before flying to the US but Dalic is likely to face several selection issues when they face England on 17 June.

Croatia head coach says England game crucial to hopes
Kovacic, Gvardiol and Modric lacking match sharpness

Zlatko Dalic sees Croatia’s World Cup opener against England as pivotal to their summer fortunes, admitting a softer first match may have been preferable for a team struggling with form and fitness issues.

Croatia beat Slovenia 2-1 in their final friendly before flying to the US but Dalic is likely to face several selection issues when they face England on 17 June. The Manchester City pair of Mateo Kovacic and Josip Gvardiol are both coming back from injury and it adds to the sense that Dalic’s side, who finished third in 2022 and runners-up four years earlier, risk starting their tournament on the back foot.

Croatia (LOCATION) World Cup (EVENT) England (LOCATION) Gvardiol (PERSON) Modric (ORG) Dalic (PERSON) US (LOCATION) Manchester City (LOCATION) Mateo Kovacic (PERSON) Josip Gvardiol (PERSON)

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