March 24, 2023 - Croatia and Wales open the EURO 2024 qualifiers at Poljud Stadium on Saturday at 20:45. Coach Zlatko Dalić and captain Luka Modrić addressed the press ahead of the important match. 

Croatia and Wales meet on Saturday at Poljud to open the EURO 2024 qualifiers. Poljud has long been sold out for Croatia's first match after winning the bronze medal at the 2022 World Cup. Dalić and Modrić addressed the press on Friday to announce the game and what we can expect. 

Luka answered questions first. He learned he is the oldest Croatia player to appear in a qualification cycle. 

"Our focus is 100% on Wales. It is important to open the qualifications with a good result. We are opening at home in front of a full stadium, and we want a win," said Modrić to begin. "I don't know if it's good or bad that I'm the oldest player to appear for Croatia in a qualifying cycle, haha. I am happy to break this record, and I am happy to play with Croatia. I need to keep going this way," he added. 

How is the team looking at this first game together since the World Cup?

"We always want to qualify as early as possible but always encounter problems during the qualifiers. The group is small, with only five teams. Therefore, we need to be maximally concentrated and focused on tomorrow. Wales and Turkey are our biggest competitors in this group. First, we need to focus on this game, and then we will think about the match against Turkey. I don't want to talk about points right now. We are the favorites in this group, and we want 6 points in these two games, but football is unpredictable.

We won two medals at the World Cup in the last five years. We also played a good EURO in 2021. Everyone is playing against us with respect and proving themselves against us. Because of that, we need to be even better." 

Luka said he wouldn't be able to achieve the success he has without everyone around him.

"Without my teammates and coach, I wouldn't be who I am. I thank all players from the beginning of my professional career, as all of these results were achieved by the team." 

How will Croatia look tomorrow, and is this Luka's last game at Poljud?

"All we can say about tomorrow is that we will give 100%. We all know about the atmosphere in Split. I said I am with Croatia until Nations League, and we will see from there."

Dalić answered the press next. 

"We are starting a new cycle. We have done incredible things in the last five years but want to achieve more. We want to start the qualifications with a win. Apart from the fact that Petković is injured and Lovren retired, we mostly have the same team we had in Qatar and will play how we did in the last World Cup game against Morocco."

What can we expect from Croatia? 

"We had a great week of training. This is a dangerous game where we have a lot to lose. The first game together after the World Cup is crucial, so this game will be very tough. We can't allow ourselves to lose points at home. We have the quality, we need to be patient, and I expect us to win. But it will be a tough game."

What does Dalić expect from Wales?

"It's a different team than during the World Cup, and there is no Gareth Bale. However, they still have good players with quality and can be dangerous in the center attack. We are in for a tough game," Dalić concluded.

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

March 12, 2023 - We are less than two weeks away from the upcoming Croatia - Wales EURO 2024 qualifier at Poljud stadium. And if you haven't snagged a ticket yet, you may be out of luck. 

On Friday, March 3, ticket sales began for the upcoming Croatia - Wales match as part of the qualification cycle for the 2024 European Championship in Germany.

Namely, Croatia and Wales meet on March 25 at 20:45 at Poljud Stadium in Split.

Advance tickets are on sale until March 24, with the following prices: 
Central West: 30 euros
West: 25 euros
East (middle): 20 euros
East: 15 euros
North: 12 euros

While match day tickets on March 25 are as follows: 
Central West: 33 euros
West: 27 euros
East (middle): 23 euros
East: 20 euros
North: 13 euros

The deadline for buying tickets online lasts until the start of the match or until all tickets are sold out, which may already be the case. 

Just 13 days before the match at Poljud, the HNS ticket portal is showing no tickets available, according to Gol.hr. This is not surprising, however, as Croatia fans are still feeling the euphoria of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the Vatreni took bronze, the third medal in their young history.

There was incredible interest among Croats for this match against Wales, and Poljud was nearly sold out two weeks before the important Euro qualifier. Poljud did not even experience this frenzy for the Nations League match against France and the 2022 World Cup qualifier against Russia.

Croatia will thus be welcomed by 30,000 fans in the electric Poljud atmosphere. Fans will come to Split from all parts of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, including many Croats living in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.

Anyone who did not manage to buy a ticket can watch the match live on TV. Should more tickets become available, don't forget to check the HNS ticket portal, where you can find detailed information on ticket sales and payment methods.

Croatia will play their second EURO 2024 qualifier on March 28 against Turkey in Bursa. 

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

The Champions League trophy (on tour) has arrived in Zagreb via Osijek where it will spend the next two days, reports Index.hr. The trophy was brought by the legendary Manchester United player and Welsh National Team member, Ryan Giggs.