Football Architects: How Croatia became world football’s great overperformers

“…In 2018, Croatia became the first team with a population under 10 million to reach the World Cup final in sixty years. Four years later, they reached the semi-finals. They are knockout-stage regulars — one of international football’s great overperformers, whose successes eclipse many larger, better-resourced European neighbours. Now, still in its infancy, Croatia has become synonymous with its elite talent — the likes of Modric, Ivan Rakitic, and Ivan Perisic — and a fierce, indefatigable personality. Perhaps Croatia is a nation of fragile talent because, for the beginning of its history, Croatia was a fragile nation. It is a country that has been shaped by conflict, only declaring independence during the brutality of the Yugoslav Wars — which killed an estimated 130,000 people — in 1991. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Mandzukic and Modric in action for Croatia in 2016