“England the toughest, but Ghana and Panama offer opportunities” – Croatia coach Dalic

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic has given his assessment of his team’s Group L opponents following the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw in Washington on Friday. He described their opening fixture against England as a major test, but insisted Croatia have the quality to advance to the knockout stage from Group L.“From the first pot we got one of the toughest national teams, England,” Dalic said. “It’s a bit unfortunate that we’re playing them in the opening match, which is the most important one because it sets the tone at the start. We’ll have to be ready for that match.”Croatia will then face Panama and later Ghana in their remaining group games. Dalic views those fixtures as competitive but manageable encounters if his team maintain their standards.“Panama and Ghana are opponents we can play against and achieve a good result. We will scout them well,” he stated, signalling Croatia’s intention to prepare thoroughly for all three matches.Croatia have established themselves among the world’s elite in recent years, reaching the 2018 World Cup final and finishing third in 2022.