"Croatia is even more beautiful than I thought, and it fascinates me that you have so many cafes and know how to enjoy yourselves," said the 24-year-old from New Jersey about Split. 

Croatia's Vatreni did much more for the country than just bring a silver home.

The words of support are coming in from all sides.

The Croatian national football team is now ranked 18th in the world.

25 years ago, now legendary Vatreni played their first game together