Perišić in action with Croatia
1 min readAfter a great season with PSV, Ivan Perisic can now prepare with Croatia for the 2026 World Cup. The versatile winger has been definitively called up by Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić to represent his country in North America.
Before the Croats set off to the other side of the world, they play two more friendly matches at home. On Tuesday evening, Croatia play Belgium in Rijeka, their World Cup opponent, and on Sunday evening Perisic & Co take to the field in Varazdin against neighboring country Slovenia, who failed to qualify for the World Cup.
For Perisic, the World Cup in North America will already be his fourth appearance at the global finals with the Balkan country. The PSV player has already played 152 internationals since his debut in March 2011, and the Croats have been present at every World Cup and European Championship since then.
In 2014, Perisic and Croatia at the World Cup in Brazil did not get beyond the group stage. The team of then head coach Niko Kovac finished in Group A in third place behind host nation Brazil and Mexico.
At the 2018 World Cup, Perisic played a major role in Croatia’s path to the first ever final appearance. With captain Luka Modric leading the way, the Croats won all three group matches against Nigeria, Argentina, and Iceland, after which they won on penalties against Denmark in the round of 16 and against the host nation Russia in the quarterfinals.
In the semi-final against England, Perisic levelled the score in the middle of the second half, which meant both teams went into extra time. In extra time, the Croats struck through striker Mario Mandzukic, writing Croatia history with a place in the World Cup final.
In the final, Perisic was also good for the equalizer, but despite this, Croatia had to bow to France 4-2. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Croatia finished third by settling matters with Morocco in the third-place playoff.
Comments7
Brilliant idea in theory, but im not convinced about the midfield balance they described. If the six is not screening enough, we will get punished on counters, and then it turns into damage control 🤡
The rotation talk is risky. If we rotate too early, our intensity drops and then the press becomes a jog, not a weapon. Keep it stable until we have a comfortable lead, imo
Gakpo on the left is still my favourite setup. When he cuts inside quickly, defenses freeze for a second, and that creates the free space for the rest. Lets goooo 🔥⚽
tbh i agree with the PSV Inside take on the wing build-up, but De Jong must get on the ball earlier. Right now it feels like too many attacks start one pass late, then the fullback is forced into a panic overlap. 👀
If PSV really want to press like that, they need Madueke and Bakayoko to stay disciplined off the ball. Otherwise it turns into free counters and i swear the midfield gets cooked. 🔥
"Control starts with the build-up" is true, but dont forget we always seem one misplaced pass away from trouble. tbh, id like to see more direct runners from midfield instead of recycling so much 😅
If PSV play like the article suggests, with that high press, it could finally force teams into bad passes. But i still worry about the gaps behind the fullbacks, especially late in the game 👀