Unique Ivan Perišić brings “world news”

Ivan Perišić is ruled out with Croatia at the 2026 World Cup after the Balkan country had to bow 2-1 to Portugal in stoppage time on Friday night. Perišić was responsible for the 0-1 and thereby set a record for the PSV player.

The goal by the versatile Croat was, in fact, Perišić's seventh goal at a World Cup. The PSV player took part in the World Cup for the fourth time after 2014, 2018 and 2022, and also during this global finals tournament Perišić managed to score at least one goal.

Thanks to the goal against Portugal, Perišić is now Croatia’s top scorer at the FIFA World Cup. The 37-year-old forward, who was deployed against Portugal as a left-back, surpassed the legendary striker Davor Šuker with this.

Šuker was of great importance at the 1998 World Cup when Croatia, for the first time since independence in 1991, took part in the World Cup and reached the semi-finals, where it ultimately lost 2-1 to the host country and later world champion France. The striker scored no fewer than six times in that tournament.

Possibly the goal by Perišić against the Portuguese was his last goal at the World Cup. In four years, during the World Cup 2030, the Croat will be 41 years old and the question is therefore whether Perišić will still be in the squad then. In the meantime, the performances and statistics of the Croatian PSV player are spreading across the world. Worldwide, attention is being paid to Perišić's performances, which are indeed unique.