UMVA has learned that Croatia's national team is gearing up to take on England in a highly anticipated match, with coach Zlatko Dalic expressing no concerns about the age of his players.
The Croatian team's experience and skill will be put to the test against England, a side that failed to qualify for Euro 2008 after being beaten twice by Croatia in the qualifying campaign. Thomas Tuchel's side is favored to win, but England will be wary of a team that reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2022 and the final eight years ago.
Several Croatian players have been around for a long time, with some familiar faces likely to feature in the match. Luka Modric is still going strong at 40 years old, while Ivan Perisic (37), Andrej Kramaric (34), and Mateo Kovacic (32) are all expected to play a key role.
Dalic has been hearing criticism about his team's age for years, but he points out that other countries with similar-aged squads have not achieved the same level of success as Croatia. He highlights his team's impressive World Cup record, with a final in 2018 and two third-place finishes in 1998 and 2022.
"They've been writing that since 2018," Dalic said. "We may be older and more worn out since then, but together with the French and Germans, we are the team with the most medals in the 21st century."
Dalic also took a swipe at England, saying that despite being a younger team, they have not won a medal in 60 years. "Croatia has three medals in 30 years. We've been at the top level for eight years. It's harder to maintain excellence than to achieve it, and Croatia is doing it very successfully."
Despite praise for England's side, Dalic expressed concerns about captain Harry Kane, describing him as the best striker in the world. He vowed that Croatia will do everything to defend against Kane and attack, with set pieces being a key area of focus.
The match is expected to be a great game and a valuable preparation for Croatia's next two group games. With Dalic's team looking to cause an upset, England will need to be at their best to come out on top.
