2 hours ago 
ByNoel Sliney
BBC Sport elder journalist
The durable halfway of Croatia's broadside continues to defy the ageing process.
Their 3rd spot astatine the 2022 World Cup followed connected from being runners-up 4 years earlier.
Six players stay from the 2018 tournament, successful which they bushed England successful the semi-finals, with the bulk of the regular midfielders and forwards present good into their 30s.
Ranked 11th successful the world, Croatia volition erstwhile much supply a stern trial for England successful Wednesday's Group L opener.
BBC Sport takes a look astatine 5 cardinal players England request to ticker retired for.
Image source, Getty Images
Teenager Luka Vuskovic excelled connected indebtedness astatine Hamburg successful 2025-26
Club: Tottenham Hotspur Age: 19 Position: Defender Caps: 5 Goals: 1
The 6ft 4in teen greatly enhanced his estimation connected indebtedness successful Germany successful 2025-26 arsenic promoted Hamburg finished 13th.
Vuskovic was shortlisted for some the Bundesliga subordinate of the play and rookie of the play awards, arsenic voted for by fans, clubs and selected media.
He could beryllium the main beneficiary if Croatia play with a three-man defence - his 4 starts for his state anterior to the World Cup each came successful the mediate of a backmost 3 and helium scored successful the March affable triumph implicit Colombia.
Head manager Zlatko Dalic said successful April that Vuskovic "will beryllium 1 of the pillars of our nationalist squad for the adjacent 10 years".
Image source, Getty Images
Josko Gvardiol has missed 4 months of the play done injury
Club: Manchester City Age: 24 Position: Defender Caps: 48 Goals: 4
Gvardiol lone returned connected 13 May aft a four-month lack caused by a fractured shinbone successful his close limb during a Premier League gully against Chelsea.
He started each 14 of Croatia's games crossed the past 3 large tournaments, with their opening Euro 2020 decision by England marking his archetypal commencement for the nationalist side. It made him Croatia's youngest ever subordinate successful a large tournament, aged 19.
Gvardiol was hailed arsenic "the champion centre-back successful the world" by Croatia's caput manager Zlatko Dalic during the 2022 World Cup. He played each infinitesimal for Croatia successful Qatar and gave them the pb with a diving header successful the third-place play-off triumph implicit Morocco.
He volition apt play successful cardinal defence if Croatia opt for a backmost 3 oregon other astatine left-back successful a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Image source, Getty Images
Luka Modric scored successful a affable triumph implicit Slovenia earlier this month
Club: AC Milan Age: 40 Position: Midfielder Caps: 198 Goals: 29
Croatia's skipper and talisman has recovered from a fractured cheekbone connected 26 April to enactment connected people for his 200th headdress this summer.
Fifa lone recognises 3 antheral players with much appearances for their country: Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait and Argentina's Lionel Messi.
Modric, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, is yet to determine connected his aboriginal pursuing AC Milan's nonaccomplishment to suffice for the Champions League.
He was heavy relied connected to dictate the team's tempo successful 2025-26 and played his astir league minutes (2,788) successful a play since 2010-11 with Spurs.
A glorious 13 years astatine Real Madrid began ignominiously erstwhile helium was voted 'worst signing of 2012' successful a canvass by Madrid-based sports regular Marca.
But Modric much than proved his worthy - claiming 28 trophies, including six Champions Leagues and 4 La Liga titles astatine Real.
Image source, Getty Images
Petar Sucic has impressed for Inter Milan this season
Club: Inter Milan Age: 22 Position: Midfielder Caps: 17 Goals: 1
An emerging force, Sucic has won the home treble successful his archetypal play successful Italy and go a regular successful cardinal midfield for Croatia.
He made six starts successful World Cup qualifying - 5 successful a box-to-box relation and 1 successful an precocious presumption astatine location to the Faroe Islands erstwhile Croatia switched to a 3-4-2-1 system.
Renowned erstwhile Croatia planetary Robert Prosinecki said of him past summer: "Inter has recovered a subordinate who tin screen each midfield role, and I'm definite Sucic volition go a pillar of the caller era."
He was calved successful Bosnia to Croatian parents and spent his puerility connected the household workplace determination successful a tiny village, helping to beverage the cows successful the mornings.
Cousin Luka Sucic, who plays for Real Sociedad, is besides portion of Croatia's World Cup squad.
Image source, Getty Images
Forward Andrej Kramaric made his Croatia debut successful September 2014
Club: Hoffenheim Age: 34 Position: Forward Caps: 116 Goals: 36
The evergreen attacker is the third-highest goalscorer successful Croatia's history, 2 down Ivan Perisic and 9 disconnected Davor Suker's grounds anterior to the World Cup.
He scored six goals successful the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, aided by yet playing regularly successful his preferred presumption down the striker aft years of spearheading the onslaught oregon playing retired wide.
Leicester City's one-time £9.7m grounds signing started each 7 of Croatia's World Cup games successful 2022, scoring doubly successful a radical triumph against Canada.
Kramaric scored 15 goals for Hoffenheim successful 2025-26. He has spent a decennary astatine the German nine and is their all-time apical scorer with 158 goals.
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