ByNoel Sliney

BBC Sport senior journalist

The durable core of Croatia's side continues to defy the ageing process.

Their third place at the 2022 World Cup followed on from being runners-up four years earlier.

Six players remain from the 2018 tournament, in which they beat England in the semi-finals, with the majority of the regular midfielders and forwards now well into their 30s.

Ranked 11th in the world, Croatia will once more provide a stern test for England in Wednesday's Group L opener.

BBC Sport takes a look at five key players England need to watch out for.

Luka Vuskovic

Club: Tottenham Hotspur Age: 19 Position: Defender Caps: 5 Goals: 1

The 6ft 4in teenager greatly enhanced his reputation on loan in Germany in 2025-26 as promoted Hamburg finished 13th.

Vuskovic was shortlisted for both the Bundesliga player of the season and rookie of the season awards, as voted for by fans, clubs and selected media.

He could be the main beneficiary if Croatia play with a three-man defence - his four starts for his country prior to the World Cup all came in the middle of a back three and he scored in the March friendly win over Colombia.

Head coach Zlatko Dalic said in April that Vuskovic "will be one of the pillars of our national team for the next 10 years".

Josko Gvardiol

Club: Manchester City Age: 24 Position: Defender Caps: 48 Goals: 4

Gvardiol only returned on 13 May after a four-month absence caused by a fractured shinbone in his right leg during a Premier League draw against Chelsea.

He started all 14 of Croatia's games across the past three major tournaments, with their opening Euro 2020 defeat by England marking his first start for the national side. It made him Croatia's youngest ever player in a major tournament, aged 19.

Gvardiol was hailed as "the best centre-back in the world" by Croatia's head coach Zlatko Dalic during the 2022 World Cup. He played every minute for Croatia in Qatar and gave them the lead with a diving header in the third-place play-off victory over Morocco.

He will likely play in central defence if Croatia opt for a back three or else at left-back in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Luka Modric

Club: AC Milan Age: 40 Position: Midfielder Caps: 198 Goals: 29

Croatia's captain and talisman has recovered from a fractured cheekbone on 26 April to stay on course for his 200th cap this summer.

Fifa only recognises three male players with more appearances for their country: Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait and Argentina's Lionel Messi.

Modric, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, is yet to decide on his future following AC Milan's failure to qualify for the Champions League.

He was heavily relied on to dictate the team's tempo in 2025-26 and played his most league minutes (2,788) in a season since 2010-11 with Spurs.

A glorious 13 years at Real Madrid began ignominiously when he was voted 'worst signing of 2012' in a poll by Madrid-based sports daily Marca.

But Modric more than proved his worth - claiming 28 trophies, including six Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles at Real.

Petar Sucic

Club: Inter Milan Age: 22 Position: Midfielder Caps: 17 Goals: 1

An emerging force, Sucic has won the domestic double in his first season in Italy and become a regular in central midfield for Croatia.

He made six starts in World Cup qualifying - five in a box-to-box role and one in an advanced position at home to the Faroe Islands when Croatia switched to a 3-4-2-1 system.

Renowned former Croatia international Robert Prosinecki said of him last summer: "Inter has found a player who can cover every midfield role, and I'm sure Sucic will become a pillar of the new era."

He was born in Bosnia to Croatian parents and spent his childhood on the family farm there in a small village, helping to milk the cows in the mornings.

Cousin Luka Sucic, who plays for Real Sociedad, is also part of Croatia's World Cup squad.

Andrej Kramaric

Club: Hoffenheim Age: 34 Position: Forward Caps: 116 Goals: 36

The evergreen attacker is the third-highest goalscorer in Croatia's history, two behind Ivan Perisic and nine off Davor Suker's record prior to the World Cup.

He scored six goals in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, aided by finally playing regularly in his preferred position behind the striker after years of spearheading the attack or playing out wide.

Leicester City's one-time £9.7m record signing started all seven of Croatia's World Cup games in 2022, scoring twice in a group win against Canada.

Kramaric scored 15 goals for Hoffenheim in 2025-26. He has spent a decade at the German club and is their all-time top scorer with 158 goals.

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