Dalich: Now was the real Croatia

The head coach of the Croatian national team, Zlatko Dalic, commented in the final round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, noting the changes in his team's game. "A great win. Six points. A tough game against a very strong opponent. We changed the tactics and the style of play and it was great. Today we went back to the old scheme, like the previous nine years. That's it. We were a bit clumsy in the first two games, but now it was real Croatia. We achieved our goal, passed the group stage. Today we return to training camp and will prepare for the next game. I told the boys that I believed in them. I believe in what we are doing and they have reciprocated. Everything was fine. It is normal that the opponent creates a few moments, but it is not easy for us. We must remain resilient. Forget about winning, move on to the next game. There is no place for euphoria, we must remain calm and move on," Dalych said. Croatia finished the group stage on the second step of quartet L. In the round of 16, Dalic's team will play against Portugal.