March 8, 2022 - FIFA has finally made a decision on the contracts of Croatian footballers in Russia. 

The contracts of foreign footballers and coaches employed in the Russian and Ukrainian championships will be "suspended" until the end of the season, and in the spring they will be able to freely engage in other clubs and countries, FIFA announced on Monday, as reported by Gol.hr.

On the Russian side, which has been banned from the sports world since the invasion of Ukraine and deprived of international competitions, the goal is to "facilitate the departure" of all those who have not found an agreement with their clubs, explains FIFA.

Therefore, they will have the “right to unilaterally suspend their employment contract” until June 30, 2022, and will be able to play for clubs from another championship, even outside the transition period. Foreign players and coaches in Ukraine will benefit from the same provision, to allow them to “work and receive a salary” while the conflicts continue.

Finally, underage players fleeing Ukraine will be treated by FIFA as underage refugees, thus entering an international transfer market that is otherwise closed to under-18s.

FIFA, which has already banned Russia from participating in the 2022 World Cup but risks appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the decision, reiterated its "condemnation of Russia's use of force in Ukraine" and called for a "quick cessation of hostilities".

FIFPro called FIFA’s temporary solution “too timid.”

“It will be hard for players to find employment for the remainder of the season with uncertainty looming over them and, within a few weeks, they will be in a very difficult situation once again. It is unsatisfactory even for players who are tied to short-term contracts in Russia — where contracts typically end in December — and who may not want or be able to return after 30 June 2022.”

This includes Croatian footballers Dejan Lovren, Nikola Moro, Filip Uremović, Tin Jedvaj, Zoran Nižić, Silvije Begić, Filip Mrzljak, and Mateo Barać. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

February 10, 2020 - Mateo Kovačić was named the FIFA 'Man of the Match' of the Club World Cup semifinal on Wednesday between Chelsea and Al Hilal.

It didn't go as Chelsea fans would have expected, but the Premier League club topped the Asian champions Al Hilal in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday night. The 1:0 victory was thanks to a Romelu Lukaku goal after a blunder by the opponents. Havertz recorded the assist, reports Jutarnji List.

There were many opportunities for the London club, but also any close moments in the second half as Al Hilal went aggressively to get the equalizing goal. Instead, they failed, primarily because of brilliant defending by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, still the highest-paid keeper of all time.

Interestingly, although Lukaku scored the only goal, and Kepa defended miraculously in the second half, FIFA chose Mateo Kovačić as the player of the match!

The Croat is currently on fire for Chelsea. Not only did he score the potential goal of the Premier League season against Liverpool in January, but he recently wore the captain's armband for the club, too. He has been so good that assistant coach Zsolt Low (as head Tuchel has COVID) called him "the great leader of Chelsea".

"I may have made some, let’s call them, unforced mistakes that I don’t normally make, but it’s good, and I’m happy. I have to point out Kepa. He is a world-class goalkeeper, blessed to have as many as three great goalkeepers at our club. As for the match, it was tough. It’s the World Cup semi-finals; we knew it would be that way. We should have scored the second goal; that would have relaxed us even more," said Low after the match.

Chelsea will play against South American champions Palmeiras on Saturday at 5 pm to fight for their first Club World Cup title in club history. When they won the Champions League in 2012, they played another Brazilian team, the Corinthians, in the World Cup final. Chelsea lost 1:0.

"We know how passionate Brazilian fans are. We are looking forward to that match, but it will be at least as demanding as this one against Al Hilal. It would be great to win another trophy. However, this is not easy to come by. You must first qualify for the European Champions League, then win it, and then pass the semifinals of the World Cup," said the Croatian national team player after FIFA presented him the player of the match award.

Thomas Tuchel's assistant, Zsolt Low, also spoke in selected words about Kovačić:

"Kova has a lot of experience. He played a handful of games like this. He is important to us on and off the field, and today he did everything. He didn’t stop running; he didn’t stop fighting and always found the best possible solutions for the team. We are thrilled that this kind of player is at our club; he is a great leader." 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

November 19, 2021 - Good news today as Croatia has moved up 3 spots in the latest FIFA ranking, and the Vatreni is now the 15th national team in the world. 

The Croatia national football team has advanced by three spots in the updated International Football Association (FIFA) ranking for November and is now the 15th national team in the world!

In the last qualifying round for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Croatia beat Malta (7:1) and Russia (1:0) and earned enough points to overtake Colombia, Uruguay, and Sweden in the ranking. 

Belgium, Brazil, and France remain at the top, while Italy, which is now sixth, dropped two places.

Among the ten top teams in the world, England and Argentina moved up one place each and are now the 4th and 5th national teams in the world, respectively. Spain and Portugal retained their positions, while Denmark and the Netherlands advanced, finishing in the top ten.

Based on the calculation of November's FIFA rankings, Croatia would be placed in the second strongest group in the 2022 World Cup draw. 

Interestingly, Iran, led by Croatian coach Dragan Skočić, jumped to 21st place and is now two places ahead of Serbia. Since taking over the national team of Iran in February 2020, Skočić has remained undefeated. 

FIFA ranking:

1. (1.) Belgium 1828 points

2. (2.) Brazil 1826
3. (3.) France 1786
4. (5.) England 1756
5. (6.) Argentina 1751
6. (4.) Italy 1741
7. (7.) Spain 1705
8. (8.) Portugal 1660
9. (10.) Denmark 1655
10. (11.) The Netherlands 1654
...
15. (18.) CROATIA 1620

Source: Gol.hr and HNS

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

October 19, 2021 - Croatia captain and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modrić has spoken out against the biennial World Cup plan, which would move the international event from every 4 to 2 years. 

Former best footballer in the world and captain of the Croatia national football team Luka Modrić said he did not want the World Cup every two years, reports Gol.hr.

"For me, the World Cup every two years makes no sense. The World Cup is special precisely because it is an event that takes place only every four years," Modrić said at a news conference in Kyiv on Monday before the Champions League match between Real Madrid and Shakhtar. 

"I would not like to see the World Cup - every two years. But, as you (journalists) said, they do not ask us much for an opinion," Modrić added.

FIFA still does not give up on the idea of introducing the World Cup every two years. On the contrary, the organization is conducting a feasibility study on the practicality of organizing championships every two years despite fierce criticism from various federations, clubs, players, and fan groups.

FIFA also announced that it would organize video conferences this week to gather the "point of view" of football coaches on the reform of the international calendar and the introduction of the World Cup every two years.

"The reputation of an event depends on its quality, not its frequency. Every year you have a Super Bowl, Wimbledon or the Champions League, everyone is excited and waiting for them," said International Football Federation (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino during a recent visit to Israel.

The Croatia captain also commented on speculations that the Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is one of the primary candidates for the Golden Ball.

The award, given by the prestigious France Football, was won by the 36-year-old Croatian footballer in 2018, and this year he is among the 30 remaining players up for the prestigious award.

"There are a few candidates who can win. For me, Karim is one of them. He deserved it because of how he played this year and how he played in recent years. Besides, he won the Nations League with France, and that's important when voting for this award," Modrić said.

Real Madrid is in second place in Group D of the Champions League with three points, while Sheriff is in the lead with six points. Shakhtar and Inter have one point each.

"We have a crucial game ahead of us. Especially because we lost the last one at home. We have no more room for mistakes. We have to enter the game like Real Madrid, with confidence and strength. We were not at the best level in the last three games, but the national team break was welcome. We are ready to play a good game," Modrić said.

"When you play for Real Madrid, you have to get used to the criticism. If you win, everything goes great, but when the results happen to us, like in the last three games, doubts begin whether we are at a good level or not. We don't worry much; we trust ourselves and our qualities," he concluded.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

April 20, 2021 - HNS stands with UEFA against the proposed Super League, including clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, and Real Madrid

HNS reports that representatives of 55 national federations and members of Uefa voted at today's 45th Congress of the umbrella European football organization, a declaration in which they condemned the proclamation of the so-called "Super League."

The participants of the UEFA Congress are united in the claim that the closed "Super League" opposes the very concept of what Europe must be: united, open, supportive, and principled in sports values.

"Uefa and its members believe in a true European model based on open competitions, solidarity, and redistribution to ensure the sustainability and development of football for the benefit of all, as well as the promotion of European values ​​and social outcomes.

The conspirator clubs have obviously turned a blind eye to the fact that the status they enjoy today is not the result of an isolated case but part of a dynamic European system in which one’s successes and failures are equally influenced by large, medium, and small clubs. Their assumption that they have the right to "separate" and claim the right to build a legacy built together is an insult to European values ​​and sporting merit.

Uefa, its members, and all those who love football will strongly oppose it and fight against the moves of the owners of these clubs and all those who support them. In a moral sense, we know very well what is behind everything, and in that sense, we will protect football from a selfish clan that does not care about the game. We are European football. They are not," the declaration reads.

The Croatian Football Federation was represented at the 45th Uefa Congress by the president, Davor Šuker, also a member of the Uefa Executive Board, i.e., the executive director of the HNS, Marijan Kustić, and the head of the international department and licensing, Ivančica Sudac.

"Once again, we have sent a clear message to European football, showing solidarity united against the selfish interests of the richest clubs and their owners. The great thing is that we are unique in our attitudes and efforts to keep football as it should be, accessible to everyone, not just elites. The congress was very successful; Uefa kept the same course, everything it did before. I am delighted that my former teammate Zvonimir Boban has become Uefa's head of football, increasing the number of Croatian officials involved in various bodies of Fifa and Uefa. I believe that by acting together, we will contribute to even better treatment of Croatian football on the international stage," concluded Davor Šuker.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

March 19, 2021 - The Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, received the President of the European Football Federation, Aleksandar Čeferin, and the President of the Croatian Football Federation, Davor Šuker, at Banski dvori in Zagreb to discuss football infrastructure in Croatia. 

HNS reports that Prime Minister Andrej Plenković was accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Zdravko Marić and the Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac. The HNS delegation was accompanied by the Executive Director Marijan Kustić and the Head of the International Department and Licensing Ivančica Sudac.

HNS

The meeting topic was primarily further investments in the development of football infrastructure in Croatia, and support for plans for the construction of a national stadium and the renovation of existing football stadiums in Croatia was also emphasized.

Prime Minister Plenković reminded that his Government in the last term adopted the National Sports Program 2019-2026, increased allocations for sports by more than 100%, and several projects were launched in the sports sector. He also added that the Government had launched investments in local sports infrastructure for the first time, and 15 football infrastructure projects in the total amount of HRK 5.7 million were co-financed through a public tender for co-financing the renovation and construction of sports infrastructure in 2019.

In addition to job preservation measures, the government has expanded support measures to mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that have also affected the sports sector.

"I thank Prime Minister Plenković for organizing this meeting with Minister Brnjac and Minister Marić, which I consider extremely important for the further development of football, especially football infrastructure in Croatia. I am glad that the Government of the Republic of Croatia has shown an understanding of many economic, health, and other benefits that football brings to society and interest in the challenges we face as the most massive sports organization in the country. With the support of UEFA and FIFA, HNS has done a lot in the development of infrastructure in recent years, and of course, we wish more state assistance in this segment," said HNS President Davor Suker, adding:

"I have the impression that the current government led by Prime Minister Plenković, despite all the current challenges, has the hearing, desire, will, and strength to return to football what football, as the most successful Croatian 'product,' deserves. I am proud that in UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, we have a great friend of Croatian football, and I thank him for showing today with concrete examples and figures that any investment in football is many times more profitable; for society as a whole."

Šuker also expressed satisfaction with the agreement reached on the establishment of a joint body of the Government, UEFA, and HNS:

"I believe in the effectiveness of a joint body composed of representatives of the Government and the Ministries of Finance, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, HNS and UEFA's independent experts, and the city of Zagreb to jointly prepare a sustainable project to build a new stadium."

UEFA president Čeferin also reported on UEFA's plans to organize the European Football Championship, given the epidemiological situation in Europe.

At the initiative of UEFA President Čeferin and HNS President Šuker, a humanitarian match between Slovenia and Croatia was played in Petrinja on 13 March. On that occasion, President Čeferin, on behalf of UEFA, handed over a donation of 50,000 euros to the Croatian Red Cross. At the same time, HNS donated 200,000 kuna to the Sisak-Moslavina County Football Association to reconstruct football infrastructure.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

December 23, 2020 - As 2020 comes to a close, Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalic interviews with FIFA about a hopefully bright year ahead. 

Croatia national team coach Zlatko Dalic interviewed for the official website of the International Football Federation, FIFA, in which he commented on the turbulent world of football in 2020 and announced the challenging 2021 for the 'Vatreni,' which is just around the corner.

FIFA introduced Dalic by remembering Croatia's fairy tale at the 2018 World Cup, where they lost in the final to France.

A lot has changed since then. 

With Mario Mandzukic, Danijel Subasic, and Vedran Corluka retiring shortly after the World Cup silver, Dalic was forced to bring in promising young stars to the squad, hoping they could fill their shoes. 

With talented youngsters, Dalic's Croatia qualified for the Euros, but that is nothing compared to the grueling 2021 ahead, with World Cup qualifiers beginning in March and the European Championship next summer. 

Dalic was first asked about Croatia's World Cup qualifying group, including Slovakia, Russia, Slovenia, Cyprus, and Malta.

"There are no easy groups because qualifying for the World Cup is a dream for every nation. We have a tough group, but we accept our position as a favourite in the group - we're the best-seeded team, and we are current World Cup silver medallists. We truly respect all opponents in the group," Dalic began. 

"Obviously, the schedule will be very tight in March and September with three games in one week. It leaves almost no time for training, and with the long travels, it's very challenging for the players to play three so important games, especially with their club schedule also being quite exhausting. It will be important to plan very well and try to manage our resources the best that we can, to protect the players while going for the best results. However, it's the same for everybody, so we won't use that as an excuse.

The other issue is the fact that we have the EURO in the middle of the qualifiers, which is unusual, and it will also present a problem for all EURO participants. For instance, you are starting the qualifiers with one team, but it's possible that after EURO, some players retire from the national team, so you have to make important changes in the middle of the cycle," he continued for FIFA.

Asked about if he feels even more pressure because Croatia reached the World Cup final in 2018, Dalic replied:

"I think people understand that 2018 was special and that you can't repeat that every two or four years. I think we had more pressure in 2018 when we knew it was probably a last chance for some of our senior players. Now, our pressure is to qualify - we want to be there, among the best.

Once we're there, we know that we have the quality, talent, and self-belief to beat anyone on a given night, but we also understand that Croatia is not in the first row of favourites - that's reserved for the biggest teams, such as France, Spain, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, England, Italy, Belgium or Portugal. Of course, as we showed in 1998 and 2018, that doesn't mean Croatia can't make a historic run, but I don't think we have pressure to do that."

Dalic spoke about how much the Croatia squad has changed since that final:

"Players such as Rakitic, Mandzukic, Subasic, and Corluka are no longer with us, and we have talented youngsters coming in and taking on bigger roles. We used the UEFA Nations League in 2018 and 2020 to give a chance to several new players, and we got through the EURO 2020 qualifying cycle quite well.

Luka Modric is still our leader, and with Brozovic and Kovacic alongside him, we still have one of the best midfields in the world. Senior players such as Perisic, Vida, and Lovren give us much-needed experience, and we also have young guns, such as Brekalo and Vlasic, who proved their potential, so we feel pretty good ahead when it comes to our future."

And what can Croatia achieve at the Euros next summer?

"We fulfilled our dreams in Russia - that was unforgettable for everybody involved, and for our fans as well. But it also gives us an extra motivation because we know how special it is to make the whole nation so joyful and proud. With the current pandemic going on, and so many lives lost, we understand that the whole nation will look at us to make them happy once again, and it's our obligation to do our very best to try to replicate that magic from Russia.

As I mentioned before - there are a few teams that are, objectively, ahead of us at the moment. But, we're pretty confident in our quality, and we surely won't admit to anyone they're better than us until they prove that on the pitch. And that's very difficult to do, because not only do we have the quality, but we also play with so much passion and togetherness for Croatia," Dalic said.

You can read the full interview on the FIFA website HERE.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

December 11, 2020 - Another great recognition for Croatia's greatest footballer, as FIFA FIFPro names Luka Modric among the world's 55 best footballers for the 8th time. 

HNS announces that the Croatia national football team captain, Luka Modric, is on the list of 55 footballers who have been shortlisted for the best team in the selection of the International Association of Professional Footballers FIFPro and the International Football Federation FIFA.

Modric is on the shortlist of the best players for the eighth time and has the opportunity to be among the best eleven, an honor that FIFPro has chosen since 2005, for the sixth time in a row. Modric was selected in the top 11 in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. About 25,000 professional footballers from all over the world choose the best team of the season consisting of one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders, and three strikers.

The fifty-five shortlisted players include goalkeepers Alisson Becker (Liverpool, Brazil), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Belgium) David de Gea (Manchester United, Spain), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan, Italy), Moraes Ederson (Manchester City, Brazil) ), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham, France), Keylor Navas (PSG, Costa Rica), Manuel Neuer (Bayern, Germany), Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid, Slovenia) and Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona, Germany).

Defenders include David Alaba (Bayern, Austria), Jordi Alba (Barcelona, ​​Spain), Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham, Belgium), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool, England), Dani Alves (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Jerome Boateng (Bayern, Germany), Alphonso Davies (Bayern, Canada), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, The Netherlands), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli, Senegal), Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus, The Netherlands), Marcelo (Real Madrid, Brazil), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, Spain), Andrew Robertson (Liverpool, Scotland), Thiago Silva (Chelsea, Brazil) and Raphael Varane (Real Madrid, France).

Midfielders include Thiago Alcantara (Bayern / Liverpool, Spain), Dele Alli (Tottenham, England), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona, ​​Spain), Casemiro (Real Madrid, Brazil), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern / Barcelona, ​​Brazil), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal), Leon Goretzka (Bayern, Germany), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool, England), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona, ​​The Netherlands), N'Golo Kante (Chelsea, France), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid, Germany), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern, Germany), Luka Modrić (Real Madrid, Croatia) and Thomas Müller (Bayern, Germany).

The srikers are Sergio Agüero (Manchester City, Argentina), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal, Gabon), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France), Serge Gnabry (Bayern, Germany), Erling Haaland (Borussia D., Norway) , Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Milan, Sweden), Harry Kane (Tottenham, England), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern, Poland), Sadio Mane (Liverpool, Senegal), Kylian Mbappe (PSG, France), Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina), Neymar Junior (PSG, Brazil), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus, Portugal), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt) and Son Heungmin (Tottenham, South Korea).

The FIFA and FIFPro best eleven in the 2019/20 season will be announced on December 17, 2020. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

January 30, 2020 - Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic features on the official website of the World Football Federation, FIFA.

On Wednesday, January 29, 2020, FIFA spoke with Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic about that magic 2018 summer in Russia, an impressive qualification period, and what's next for Modric & Co.

"It's always fulfilling to reach your goals. It wasn't easy - it never is in qualifying - but we were at our best at the crucial points and I believe we deserved to top the group. Whenever we really needed to show our quality and pick up points, we did it, and that shows the quality, character and spirit of this group. I’m very satisfied because we managed to bring some new blood into the team, while keeping a high level of performance. What makes me even happier is the fact that we kept our togetherness, and had great support from our fans.

That unity was the key for us at the World Cup, and it will be vital for us going forward too. We saw a number of important, big-game players retire from the national team, such as Mario Mandzukic, and it was normal that the rest of the team from Russia felt something of a comedown after such an amazing World Cup. However, we tackled those issues by bringing in a few younger players, who are hungry, ambitious, and very talented - players such as Josip Brekalo and Nikola Vlasic, who were very important during qualifying. We also found an excellent new forward in Bruno Petkovic, so we managed to refresh our team with some new faces, while maintaining quality with experienced world-class players such as Modric, [Ivan] Rakitic and [Ivan] Perisic," Dalic answered when asked about qualifying for the Euro.

“I often say that togetherness is the most important quality of this group and, yes, that was true again during the qualifiers. We had some unexpected setbacks, such as losing in Hungary and dropping points to Azerbaijan, but the reaction was always fantastic. For instance, after the defeat in Budapest, we won against Wales with a quality display, and then played a brilliant game in Slovakia, winning 4-0. The leadership of our captain (Modric) was also so important in dealing with tough times; along with other senior players, he gives confidence to the whole team,” Dalic added about how Croatia tackled any setbacks along the way. 

"I love what our young players bring to the team and it will be great for them to experience the EURO with the likes of Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, and others, because the future belongs to them. Nikola Vlasic scored three very important goals for us during qualifying, while Josip Brekalo is a talented winger and played in nine matches out of ten in 2019, which shows the trust we have in him. We have a number of players who are about to enter the best years of their careers - such as Kovacic, Petkovic, Livakovic or Jedvaj, all of whom 25 or younger and played a major role during qualifying. Their quality and attitude tells me that Croatia will still be in excellent hands even after some of our senior players like Luka retire from the national team at some point."

Croatia, as a World Cup finalist, is a particular challenge for all rivals.

“For any opponent, playing Croatia is now seen as a huge game and they all play with a lot of energy, focus and desire to beat the World Cup finalists. We understand that and we prepare for it, but it still means we get everybody's best shot and that's not easy to deal with game after game. All the same, if you're a competitor, you enjoy that challenge, and you want to show everybody that you deserved your silver medals. And we have a team full of competitors who love to represent Croatia, and who understand the importance and privilege of playing for the national team,” said Dalic.

At the Euros, Croatia awaits England, the Czech Republic and the Nations League playoff winner.

“If you look at our World Cup Final starting XI, and then at our team at the end of EURO qualifying, you can see that we've changed quite a lot. We don't have as experienced a team as we did during the World Cup but, in some areas, we might be even better. If you look at our 4-0 win in Slovakia, that was as good a performance as we’ve had during my time as Croatia head coach – the World Cup included. That performance showed that Croatia will be formidable opponents for anybody, not only at the EURO, but for years to come,” Dalic said.

“It's a tough group, but there are no easy groups at major tournaments. The game against England will be an especially great challenge. They have the big advantage of playing at home, but that will also bring additional pressure to them, which is not always easy to cope with. We managed to beat England at Wembley once, in 2007, and hopefully we can do it again. But we also understand it's not the only game in the group - we need to be ready for a very solid Czech Republic, as well as a difficult third opponent, whoever that turns out to be. Our goal will be to qualify for the next round and then try to recapture the magic from Russia in the knockout stage.”

You can read the full interview in English on the FIFA website.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

September 24, 2019 - This year's award ceremony of The Best, organized by the World Football Federation, was held in Milan. Croatia once again had a representative among the winners, as Luka Modric was included in the world’s best 11 footballers.

HNS and Gol.hr write that the captain of the Croatia national team is back in respectable company. Namely, Luka Modric has been re-elected as a member of the best team of the year!

Slobodan Kadic

The Real Madrid midfielder and the Croatia national team captain was selected among the best 11 in the competition of 50 footballers who entered the final vote.

Along with Messi, who was named the best footballer in the world, Modric was joined by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, who was also named the world's best goalkeeper, Matthias de Ligt (Juventus), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), and Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) in the defense, midfielders Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona) and Eden Hazard (Real Madrid) and strikers Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) and Kylian Mbappe (PSG).

Modric has been selected in the top 11 players each year since FIFA independently organized the award, and has been in the top 11 since the 2014/15 season in FIFPro's selection. Recall, Barcelona and Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic also made the prestigious selection of 50 nominees.

Slobodan Kadic

Lionel Messi won the title of the best footballer for the 2018/2019 season, succeeding Luka Modric who won the award the season before. Megan Rapinoe was named the best female player.

Jürgen Klopp was selected as the best coach in men's football, while Jill Ellis received the same recognition in women's football. The best male goalkeeper in the world was awarded to Alisson Becker, while the best female goalkeeper was awarded to Sari von Veenendaal.

The Ferenc Puskas Award for Best Value was given to Daniel Zsori, the fair play award went to Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds United, and the fan award went to Silvia Grecco and her son Nickollas.

Slobodan Kadic

The best women's team selected for the first time included Sari van Veenendaal, Lucy Bronze, Nilla Fischer, Kelley O'Hara, Wendie Renard, Julie Ertz, Amandine Henry, Rose Lavelle, Marta, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.