FIFA Men's World Cup

World Cup's 101 Most Memorable Moments: Croatia's Cinderella story

Updated Oct. 3, 2022 8:33 p.m. ET

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By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer

Editor's note: Each day between now and the kickoff of the first match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Nov. 20, we'll unveil a different memory from World Cup history. The countdown from 101 continues with Croatia's Cinderella run at Russia '18.

Every modern World Cup final has been contested by the usual suspects. Of the 10 championship matches between 1978 and 2014, every one was between teams that had reached a final before. Seven of eight were previous winners. A new nation hadn’t reached the ultimate winner-take-all game in sports since the Netherlands did it in 1974. 

In 2018, Croatia went off-script for the first time in 40 years. Led by Real Madrid maestro Luka Modrić, the Croatians surprised just about everyone on planet futbol by advancing to the finale against France. Being on the easier side of the knockout bracket no doubt helped; Modrić’s side beat humble Denmark, a weak Russian team and a then-overrated England side. Meanwhile, Les Bleus had to go through a pair of two-time champs in Argentina and Uruguay, and then Belgium, FIFA’s top-ranked team at the time. 

Croatia’s success wasn’t a complete shock, though. They had reached the semis two decades before, losing only to host and eventual winner France in 1998. And while Les Bleus repeated the feat in 2018, Croatia — which became the second-smallest country by population (after Uruguay) to advance to the World Cup decider — did themselves proud, scoring twice in a 4-2 thriller.

Croatia's incredible run:

Croatia made it all the way to the final at the 2018 World Cup.

One of the leading soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer with ESPN and Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.

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FIFA Men's World Cup

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Doug McIntyre