Croatia makes history, qualifying for four consecutive World Cups

In the early morning of November 15, Croatia defeated the Faroe Islands 3-1 in the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers, locking in a World Cup ticket one round in advance and becoming the third European team to advance to the North and Central American World Cup finals after England and France.

After this campaign, Croatia scored 19 points in the five qualifying rounds, leading the second-placed Czech team by 6 points, and firmly ranked first in the group with only one round left. This is also the first time in the country's history that it has entered the World Cup for four consecutive years - since entering the independent competition in 1998, Croatian football has been steadily writing its own legend of stability.

Despite being at home and clearly dominant on paper, the team led by Dalic encountered an unexpected challenge at the start. In the 16th minute of the game, defense core Joshko Gvadiol made a fatal mistake in the midfield. After being intercepted by Faroe Islands player Geza Turi, he calmly pushed the shot into the blind corner, which was beyond the reach of goalkeeper Livakovic. Soon after, Jakup Andreasen's header hit the post and almost expanded the score to 2-0.

At the critical moment, Gvadiol quickly made up for it - in the 23rd minute, he blasted a wonderful long-range shot with his left foot to help Croatia equalize the score. Then, captain Luka Modric began to control the rhythm and gradually dominated the game with his excellent scheduling ability. Although Croatia created many opportunities in the first half, they failed to change the score again.

Changing sides and fighting again, the two sides continue to attack. In the 57th minute, Petar Moussa, who came on as a substitute, received a cross in the penalty area and scored decisively from close range, taking the lead to 2-1. After that, the morale-defeated Faroe Islands retreated across the board, but in the end they were unable to withstand Croatia's continued pressure. In the 70th minute, Ivan Perisic broke through at high speed from the left and sent a precise cross. Nikola Vlasic easily succeeded in pushing the ball in front of the goal, locking the final score at 3-1.

This victory not only ensured that Croatia entered the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time, but also once again confirmed the stable competitiveness of this Balkan powerhouse in international football in recent years. From the "golden generation" to the transition between the old and the new, Croatian football is moving towards a new historical chapter at a steady pace.