Soccer
FC Dallas striker Petar Musa and Orlando City winger Marco Pašalić have made Croatia’s final 26-man roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Vatreni enter this summer’s tournament looking to build on their third-place finish in 2022.
Croatia were runners-up in the 2018 edition and also placed third at their first-ever World Cup in 1998.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 18, 2026
Croatia schedule: Group L
- June 17: Croatia vs. England, 4 pm ET | Dallas, Texas
- June 23: Croatia vs. Panama, 7 pm ET | Toronto, Ontario
- June 27: Croatia vs. Ghana, 5 pm ET | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The 2026 World Cup has expanded from the usual 32 nations to 48 total. The top two teams advance from each group, and the top eight third-place finishers also make the knockout phase (Round of 32).
The tournament, which is co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, spans from June 11 to July 19.
After a two-year absence, Musa burst back into the national team picture at the end of 2025, contributing 1g/1a in Croatia’s final two games of their successful World Cup qualifying campaign.
Musa also featured twice during the March international window, sealing his spot in head coach Zlatko Dalić’s final roster.
With 12g/2a, the Designated Player striker has reached double-digit goals for the third consecutive season and is firmly in the 2026 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi race.
Musa joined Dallas ahead of the 2024 campaign on a club-record deal from Portuguese powerhouse Benfica, worth reportedly up to $13 million.
Pašalić is World Cup-bound after featuring throughout the UEFA World Cup qualifying process, where he contributed two assists in six games.
He added another assist in a 2-1 friendly win over Colombia in March, helping earn his place alongside superstar teammates Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, and others.
Since joining Orlando as a DP from Croatian top-flight side HNK Rijeka ahead of the 2025 season, Pašalić has 17g/6a in 50 appearances across all competitions.
Read MoreAlejandro Center