Croatia enter the World Cup Qualifiers after a disappointing exit in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals against France.
Croatia kick off their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign on Friday with an away clash against Gibraltar at the Estadio Do Algarve. Despite being the only side in Group L yet to play a match, the 2018 World Cup finalists are firm favourites against a Gibraltar team still searching for their first points.
Gibraltar find themselves bottom of the group, having suffered a 4-0 defeat to the Czech Republic in March. The result mirrored their struggle to produce any attacking threat. They managed just one shot in that game and have only managed two shots on target across both of their qualifiers so far. With three goals scored in their last five fixtures and a concerning goal difference of -7, the hosts face a steep uphill battle.
However, it’s worth noting that prior to their recent back-to-back defeats, Gibraltar had been on a seven-match unbeaten run, albeit featuring five draws. At home, they’ve been more resilient, winning two, drawing three, and losing just once in their last six games at Estadio Do Algarve.
Croatia, meanwhile, arrive after a disappointing exit in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals. After taking a 2-0 lead in the first leg against France, Zlatko Dalic’s side were pegged back and eventually lost on penalties after a 2-0 second-leg defeat. Notably, that result marked their fourth winless outing in five matches.
In terms of head-to-head, Croatia hold the historical edge. However, there is not much data as the two teams have only met once before. The only meeting between the two sides came back in June 2015, when Croatia cruised to a 4-0 victory in a friendly encounter. It was a one-sided affair as Croatia cruised to a dominating victory.
Anas Sharbini opened the scoring inside seven minutes before Mateo Kovacic doubled the lead in the 15th minute. Mario Mandzukic then converted from the penalty spot just after the break, and Andrej Kramaric sealed the rout with a strike in the 77th minute. Gibraltar offered little resistance and failed to register any significant attacking threat in the match.
Given the vast gulf in quality and experience between the two squads, anything other than another commanding Croatian win would be a major surprise.
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