Croatia register a comprehensive 7-goal win over Gibraltar.
The 2018 World Cup runners-up, Croatia, kicked off their 2026 World Cup qualifiation campaign against Gibraltar. The Balkan side has been clubbed with Czechia, Faroe Islands and Montenegro. With a convincing win in their first qualification game, Croatia find themselves in third position, behind Czechia (9 points from 3 games) and Montenegro (6 points from 3 games).
Croatia absolutely dismantaled Gibraltar who looked like no match for them, scoring their first goal in 28th minute via Mario Pasalic. There were five different goalscorers in the game, with Franjo Ivanovic and Andrej Kramaric scoring twice off the bench. Ivan Perisic and Ante Budimir found a goal apiece.
Former Tottenham Hotspur player, Perisic, was particularly dangerous, being involved in four of Croatia’s seven goals on the night, scoring once and assisting thrice. The performance was immensely lopsided where Croatia outshot Gibraltar 30 to three, creating 13 big chances and averaging 68% possession.
Real Madrid’s Luka Modric was brought on in the 64th minute after Croatia were already four goals up. He played as the deepest midfielder at times, picking the ball up and circulating it under no pressure whatsoever. He completed 21 of his 25 passes and three out of four long balls. The 39-year-old Madrid captain was lively on the pitch, latching onto loose balls in the middle and stictching play.
Zlatko Dalic’s side got a healthy goal difference boost from this game and will look to continue the momentum into their next game on June 9th against table toppers Czechia. The aim will be to finish at the top of the table and secure direct qualification into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
