Croatia name World Cup squad: Luka Modric set for fifth tournament, Petar Musa included

Milan midfielder Luka Modric, 40, is set to play at his fifth World Cup after being named in Croatia’s 26-man preliminary squad for the 2026 tournament.

Modric made his World Cup debut in 2006, and was part of the Croatia side that finished as runners-up in 2018 and third in 2022. He has played 196 times for his country and could make his 200th international appearance at this summer’s tournament.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi can make history this summer’s tournament by becoming the first male players to represent their country at six editions of the World Cup. Five women, Formiga, Marta, Christine Sinclair, Homare Sawa and Onome Ebi, have featured at six or more tournaments.

The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner missed the end of Milan’s season after undergoing surgery on a cheekbone fracture in April, but The Athletic reported he was expected to return for the World Cup.

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic named a preliminary squad of 26 on Monday, with seven players on standby, who can be called up into the main squad before FIFA’s submission deadline on June 1.

Manchester City defender Josko Gvardiol is also included in the 26 after returning from a right shin bone fracture. The 24-year-old underwent surgery in January and returned to action against Crystal Palace on May 13.

PSV forward Ivan Perisic, 37, is set to play at a fourth World Cup and is one of four players in the Croatia squad with more than 100 international caps, alongside Modric, Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic and Hoffenheim forward Andrej Kramaric.

Dinamo Zagreb forward Dion Drena Beljo misses out on the 26 and is listed on standby, despite scoring 38 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions this season. FC Dallas’ Petar Musa is named instead — the striker has 12 MLS goals in 13 games, the same as Lionel Messi and second only to Chicago Fire’s Hugo Cuypers (12).

Wolfsburg midfielder Lovro Majer, who was part of Croatia’s 2022 World Cup squad, has also only been named on the preliminary list. He was in the Croatia squad in March but was limited to substitute cameos in the Bundesliga during the final months of the campaign.

Croatia play Belgium and Slovenia in a pair of pre-World Cup friendlies, and have been drawn in a group alongside England, Ghana and Panama.

Croatia 2026 World Cup squad in full

Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo), Dominik Kotarski (Copenhagen), Ivor Pandur (Hull City).

Defenders: Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City), Duje Caleta-Car (Real Sociedad), Josip Sutalo (Ajax), Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich), Marin Pongračić (Fiorentina), Martin Erlic (Midtjylland), Luka Vuskovic (HSV).

Midfielders: Luka Modric (Milan), Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta), Nikola Vlasic (Torino), Luka Sucic (Real Sociedad), Martin Baturina (Como), Kristijan Jakic (Augsburg) , Petar Sucic (Inter), Nikola Moro (Bologna), Toni Fruk (Rijeka).

Forwards: Ivan Perisic (PSV), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Ante Budimir (Osasuna), Marco Pasalic (Orlando City), Petar Musa (Dallas), Igor Matanovic (Freiburg).

Standby: Lovro Majer (Wolfsburg), Franjo Ivanovic (Benfica), Dion Drena Beljo (Dinamo), Ivan Smolcic (Como), Karlo Letica (Lausanne), Adrian Segecic (Portsmouth), Luka Stojkovic (Dinamo).