Croatia has quietly emerged as a soccer superpower over the past decade, following up its runner-up finish during the 2018 World Cup with a third-place showing in the 2022 edition of the competition.

Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in hugely controversial circumstances to set up a mouthwatering round-of-16 clash with fierce rivals Spain at the 2026 World Cup. Croatia thought they had scored a last-gasp ...