How will Croatia line up at UEFA Euro 2020?

This is one of the youngest national teams to reach the knockout stage of a major tournament since its inception, as well as the youngest team to be ranked in the FIFA World Rankings' top ten.

Following the disintegration of Yugoslavia, FIFA and UEFA recognized the team. National sides, on the other hand, were active during periods of political turmoil, representing sovereign nations like the Banovina of Croatia from 1939 to 1941 and the Independent State of Croatia from 1941 to 1944.

Prior to the formation of the current squad, the majority of Croatian players represented Yugoslavia. Since 1994, the modern-day squad has competed in competitive matches, beginning with the 1996 European Championship qualification campaign. They contested in their inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1998, finishing third and provided Davor Šuker, the tournament's top scorer. Croatia reached the 2018 World Cup Final exactly twenty years later. Now in 2021 we are waiting for their display in

UEFA Euro 2020

!

How will Croatia line up at UEFA Euro 2020?

Croatia has been one of the Europe's most prominent football teams, however, they have gained 8 points from their past eight games, with two wins, two draws, and four losses. Luka Modric, Nikola Vlasic, and Ivan Perisic were instrumental in Croatia's qualification for Euro 2020.

Croatia has been placed in Group D, with England, the

, and Scotland for this summer's championship. Croatia has employed a 4-3-3 formation in most of their games this season, including wins against Armenia and Malta, as well as Slovenia.

The players on the Croatia Euro 2020 list that we have supplied for you are those that the Sportmob team believes have the best chance of making the starting eleven, but at the end of the day, the manager is the only one who knows who will receive some decent playing time. So far, the following players have been selected for the tournament team:

• Goalkeepers:

  Lovre Kalinic, Dominik Livakovic, Simon Sluga

• Defenders:

  Domagoj Vida, Dejan Lovren, Sime Vrsaljko, Borna Barisic, Duje Caleta-Car, Josip Juranovic, Domagoj Bradaric, Mile Skoric, Josko Gvardiol

• Midfielders:

  Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic, Milan Badelj, Mario Pasalic, Nikola Vlasic, Luka Ivanusec

• Forwards:

  Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric, Ante Rebic, Josip Brekalo, Bruno Petkovic, Mislav Orsic, Ante Budimir

As a result, we'll begin with the most important position on the field, the goalie, then go to the center of the field, and ultimately finish with attacking positions such as wingers and strikers. Let's take a look at who made our list of

Croatia Euro 2020

lineup.

Let’s get to the players of the Croatia Euro 2020 squad in instant.

GK: Dominik Livakovic

Starting with the most important role of football, let us discuss who is the best choice to fill in the goalkeeper position in the Croatia squad for Euro 2021. Dominik Livakovic (born 9 January 1995) is a Croatian goalkeeper who currently plays for Dinamo Zagreb in the Prva HNL.

In May 2016, Livakovic got his first call-up to the Croatian national team for a friendly against Moldova. In the 2017 China Cup, he made his debut against Chile, which Croatia lost on penalties.

He was nominated to Croatia's provisional 32-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia in May 2018 and was later a member of the team that finished runners-up after losing in the final to France. On October 12, 2018, he made his competitive debut against

in a scoreless draw at Stadion Rujevica in Rijeka during the 2018–19 Nations League fixture.

Livakovic took over as Croatia's first-choice goalkeeper for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying campaign after Lovre Kalinić's dismal performances. He is an exceptional player but lacks experience. We hope that he would be given the chance to prove himself in the Croatia squad for Euro 2021.

CB: Domagoj Vida

Domagoj Vida who plays as a defender for Süper Lig club

, was born on April 29, 1989. He can play in any defensive position, though his primary roles are center-back and right-back.

In 2011, he played in four UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers for Croatia, including both play-off matches against Turkey, which helped them qualify for the championships. His only appearance in the finals was as a starter for Croatia in their last group encounter, a 1–0 loss to Spain, which saw them eliminated from the competition

Vida scored his first goal for the national team in a friendly match against South Korea on September 10, 2013, at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju.

Vida was a member of the Croatian team that competed in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, though he was only used as a substitute. During UEFA Euro 2016 qualification, he recovered his spot as a regular, making nine games, as well as three matches at the finals, when the squad was defeated by Portugal in the round of 16.

Domagoj Vida, who is normally a center-back, is a versatile defender who can also play as a full-back on either flank that’s why we reserved a spot for him in Croatia Euro 2020 lineup.

CB: Dejan Lovren

Dejan Lovren is the captain of Zenit Saint Petersburg in the Russian Premier League. Manager Slaven Bilić gave him his first call-up to the Croatian national team in August 2009, when he named him in his match squad against Belarus.

Lovren scored his first international goal against Malta in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match on September 2, 2011. Slaven Bilić included him in the training camp ahead of UEFA Euro 2012, but due to an injury, he was not picked for the final team.

Lovren was chosen to Niko Kovač's tentative 30-man team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil in May 2014. Lovren was pulled out of Croatia's team for the UEFA Euro 2016 due to his poor relationship with manager Ante Čačić.

Due to injury, Lovren was unable to play in Croatia's first match in the inaugural edition of UEFA's new competition Nations League, a 6–0 historic defeat to Spain. A month later, he returned for a match against England, which finished in a goalless draw. He was a part of Spain's 3–2 loss on November 15th.

Following the match, Lovren created controversy by labeling Spain's players "a bunch of pussies" on an Instagram live broadcast and confessing to elbowing Spain's defender Sergio Ramos, with whom he had a public dispute before the tournament.

was demoted from League A to League B of the following Nations League season after losing 1–2 against England three days later.

Lovren was suspended for one international match by UEFA on 11 January 2019 for insulting the Spain national team and flag, as well as the premeditated elbowing of Sergio Ramos. He was unable to participate in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier against Azerbaijan.

Dejan Lovren has appeared in 64 international matches for Croatia so far. He will be a significant member of the Croatia Euro 2020 and this amazing athlete’s performance pushed him into our Croatia Euro 2020 Squad.

LB: Borna Barisic

Borna Barisic who plays as a left-back for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, was born on November 10, 1992.

On January 11, 2017, he made his Croatian national team debut in a friendly against Chile. He was chosen in Croatia's preliminary 32-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia in May 2018, however, he was not selected for the final 23.

On March 21, 2019, he scored his first international goal in a 2–1 win against

in a home Euro 2020 qualifier. He had cemented his place in the national team's starting before the end of qualification. We offered him a spot in the

Croatia squad for Euro 2021

.

RB: Sime Vrsaljko

Sime Vrsaljko (born 10 January 1992) represents Atlético Madrid in Spain as a full back.

On November 2, 2010, he was called up to the Croatian national football team for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Malta. In a friendly match against the Czech Republic on February 9, 2011, he made his national team debut.

He only played once in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying process, in a match against

in Zagreb. He was nominated to Croatia's 23-man team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil in May of 2014.

He was the captain of the national team in a 2–1 loss to Argentina on November 12, 2014, at the age of 22. He played the full game. With Darijo Srna being rested for the game against Italy, he became one of the youngest leaders in the history of the national team.

Vrsaljko returned to the national team in September 2020 after an almost two-year layoff due to knee surgery. Coach Zlatko Dalić chose him for the Nations League matches against Portugal and France. Vrsaljko, on the other hand, did not play a single minute until Croatia's 1–0 loss to Slovenia in a 2022 World Cup qualifier on March 24, 2021. His first game for the national team after 28 months ended in a loss.

CM: Luka Modric

There is no need to introduce Luka Modric as he is considered one of the best footballers in the world. It was obvious that he would be in our

Croatia Euro 2020

lineup as he is one of the best players on the team.

Luka Modric (born September 9, 1985) is a star who currently plays as a midfielder for

in Spain. He mostly plays as a central midfielder, although he also has the ability to play as an offensive or defensive midfielder.

Modric's achievements earned him a regular spot in the Croatian national team, and he had a good UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, which included wins both at home and away against England. Modric was called "the Croatian Cruyff" as a young midfielder because of the high expectations he faced as a young player.

Modric was named to the UEFA Team of the Tournament at the conclusion of the campaign, becoming only the second Croatian to do so following Davor Šuker.

Modric scored his first goals for Croatia in three years in the Euro 2016 qualifying stages, the first against Malta on his 29th birthday with a long-range strike, and then a penalty against Azerbaijan.

Modric scored two goals in the Euro 2020 qualifying stages, a penalty in a 1–1 draw away to Azerbaijan and a solo effort in a 3–0 win over Hungary at home as Croatia won the group and qualified for the tournament. The competition was postponed for a year owing to the COVID-19 epidemic. Modric equaled Darijo Srna as the most capped player in the history of the national team when he made his 134th appearance for the national team in a 1–0 2022 World Cup qualifying defeat to Slovenia on March 24, 2021.

Even with Zinedine Zidane's meticulous management of the 35-year-old midfielder's workload at Real Madrid, Modric has been the beating heart of Croatia for nearly a decade, so the fact that he still plays at the highest level is nothing short of amazing. Croatia is more reliant than ever on Modric's leadership in the absence of Rakitić.

CM: Mateo Kovacic

Mateo Kovacic plays as a midfielder for Premier League club

, was born on May 6, 1994. Kovacic is most commonly used as a center or box-to-box midfielder, although he is a flexible player who can also play in deeper positions.

On March 22, 2013, he made his senior debut against Serbia, playing as a central midfielder with Luka Modrić in place of regular squad starter Ognjen Vukojević.

Kovacic played in Croatia's Nations League matches against Spain at home and England at home, both of which resulted in a 6–0 loss and a goalless draw. He played a key role in Croatia's successful Euro 2020 qualifying campaign, which saw them finish first in their group.

During the 2020–21 Nations League, Kovacic was widely chastised for his inefficiency with the national team, particularly after committing an error that resulted in Dejan Kuluševski's first goal in Croatia's vital match against Sweden on November 14, 2020, which ended in a 2–1 defeat. Three days later, he scored a brace in a 3–2 loss to Portugal, saving Croatia from relegation to League B since they had a higher goal difference than Sweden.

Let's see who the next nominee is for the Croatia Euro 2020 starting eleven and why.

CM: Marcelo Brozovic

Marcelo Brozovic currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Inter Milan in Serie A. He was born on November 16, 1992.

Brozovic was included to Niko Kovač’s final roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on May 31, and made his first appearance for the main team on June 7, starting in a 1–0 win against Australia at the Estádio de Pituaçu.

Brozovic has been a frequent starter in Croatia's Euro 2016 qualifiers since the 2014 World Cup, playing with Luka Modric and Ivan Rakiti in a revolving midfield triangle. In a 6–0 triumph against Azerbaijan in Osijek, he scored his first goal for Croatia.

Brozovic was a member of Croatia's UEFA Euro 2016 team in May 2016. In Croatia's opening encounter in Group D, against

, he made his first UEFA European Championship debut, playing the entire 90 minutes as the team triumphed 1–0.

Brozovic has been compared to Frank Lampard in terms of style of play. His passing, tackling, running, and stamina have all been praised. He is most often used as a deep-lying playmaker or box-to-box midfielder, although he is a flexible midfielder who can play anywhere in the middle. These traits make him a perfect fit for Croatia Euro 2020 lineup.

LW: Ivan Perisic

Ivan Perišić plays for Inter Milan in Serie A, was born on February 2, 1989. He is most commonly used as a winger, although he may also be used as an offensive midfielder or a second striker.

Perišić made his senior national team debut against Georgia on March 26, 2011, at the age of 22. Perišić made 12 appearances for Croatia during the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign, scoring his first international goal in a 1–1 tie with Belgium.

Croatia's top goalscorer in Euro 2016 qualification was Perišić, who scored six goals in nine games as Croatia finished second in Group H. Perišić scored three times in Euro 2020 qualification, against

at home and Slovakia at home and away.

He captained Croatia in a 4–2 Nations League defeat to France at Stade de France on September 8, 2020. Perišić made his 100th appearance for Croatia in a friendly 1–1 tie with Armenia on June 1, 2021, in which he scored Croatia's goal.

Let’s move on to another obvious choice for Croatia Euro 2020.

RW: Nikola Vlasic

Nikola Vlasic (born 4 October 1997) currently plays as an attacking midfielder for

in the Russian Premier League.

He made his senior team debut in a friendly match against Mexico on May 28, 2017, after being named in the starting lineup.

Vlasic has been picked to Croatia's Under-21 Euro 2019 team. On 18 and 24 June, he scored in a 4–1 loss to Romania and a 3–3 draw with England, respectively. On September 6, 2019, he scored his debut goal for the senior team in a 0–1 win against Slovakia in a Euro 2020 qualifying match.

Croatia won the game with a score of 0–4. In a 1–1 draw with Wales on October 13, Vlasic scored yet another opening goal. He equalized against Slovakia at home on November 16, ensuring Croatia's 3–1 win and qualification for the tournament.

Vlasic scored the first goal in a 2–1 UEFA Nations League victory against Sweden at Stadion Maksimir on October 11, 2020, and then scored again three days later in a 2–1 loss to defending world champions France at the same venue, these factors make him a perfect fit for offensive positions in our

Croatia Euro 2020

lineup.

ST: Andrej Kramaric

Andrej Kramaric who plays as a midfielder for

, was born on June 19, 1991. Kramaric received his first senior squad call-up on August 20, 2014, for a friendly match against Cyprus and a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Malta, both under Coach Niko Kovač. Kramaric scored his first goal for Croatia in a competitive match against Malta in the qualifying round.

During the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he played a crucial part. He scored Croatia's equalizer in the first half of regulation time in the 2018 FIFA World Cup quarter-final match against hosts Russia on July 7.

The match went into extra time after a 1–1 draw after 90 minutes, and after a 2–2 draw after 120 minutes, Croatia advanced to the next round in the ensuing shoot-out, winning 4–3 on penalties.

Croatia Group fixtures in Euro 2020 are as follow:

(All times CEST)

13 June 2021 (15:00):

England vs Croatia

- Wembley Stadium, London

18 June 2021 (18:00):

Croatia vs Czech Republic

- Hampden Park Stadium, Glasgow

23 June 2021 (21:00):

Croatia vs Scotland

- Hampden Park Stadium, Glasgow

​Now, it's time to wait for plays from Croatia. Have a good time.

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