00:00.
00:06Croatia entered the official FIFA rankings in 1994,
00:10when they were placed 125th in the world.
00:17Four years later, they were ranked fourth.
00:21Having taken the sport by storm at Euro 96,
00:24and especially France 98,
00:26they have rarely left the top 20 ever since,
00:30establishing themselves as a powerhouse of international football.
00:36Iterations of a Croatian national team existed as early as 1918,
00:40and between 1941 and 1945,
00:44the side representing the Nazi Germany puppet state of Croatia
00:48played a series of friendlies against near neighbours.
00:54But it wasn't until 1990 that the side we recognise today began to emerge.
01:00In that year, while still formally part of Yugoslavia,
01:05Croatia took on the USA, who were touring Europe at the time,
01:08and debuted their now iconic checkerboard jerseys.
01:15Two further unofficial friendlies took place,
01:18building towards Croatia's recognition as an independent nation in January 1992.
01:28Euro 96 was the first tournament Croatia could qualify for,
01:32and they reached it in style,
01:35topping a qualification group containing recent World Cup finalists Italy.
01:40Zvonimir Boban and Robert Prozinecki were influential,
01:44but the superstar was Davor Shuker,
01:47who found the back of the net a continent leading 12 times.
01:54Shuker was no slouch at the finals either,
01:57scoring three times as his side reached the quarter-finals.
02:00His lob over Peter Schmeichel during the group phase to seal a 3-0 victory
02:05was the high point of Croatia's colourful entry to competitive football,
02:09and put the world on notice that this small, new nation had some serious talent.
02:20That message was reinforced at France 98,
02:23when Shuker's goals led Croatia to victories in their first two World Cup finals matches.
02:29Another saw off Romania in the round of 16,
02:32and the Real Madrid star was at it again in the quarter-finals,
02:36sealing a statement 3-0 victory over Germany.
02:45Shuker opened the scoring in the semi-final against France,
02:48but the tournament hosts equalised almost immediately,
02:52and ran out 2-1 winners.
02:54But Croatia regrouped to secure a bronze medal,
02:58with victory over the Netherlands in the third-place play-off.
03:05It was an unprecedented arrival on the international stage.
03:12In hindsight, World Cup 98 marked the end of Croatia's first golden generation.
03:21The second golden generation began to emerge during a run to the quarter-finals of Euro 2008.
03:27The squad contained Vedran Chorluka, Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric, all aged 22 or under.
03:40Their progress was overseen by Slavin Bilic.
03:43But after he left in 2012, progress stalled.
03:48There was particular disappointment at a poor Euro 2016 campaign.
03:53There was a silver lining to an early exit.
03:55The appointment of Zlatko Dalic.
04:01Dalic was the coach who figured out how to maximise the enormous potential of Modric,
04:06now into his thirties, gifting him a free role in midfield alongside Rakitic and the hard-working Marcelo Brozovic.
04:15Together, that trio controlled matches, monopolising possession and feeding Maria Mandzukic and Ivan Perisic ahead of them.
04:26At Russia 2018, Croatia entered ranked 20th in the world.
04:31With a 3-0 group stage victory over Lionel Messi's Argentina, put the tournament on notice.
04:41Daniel Subasic's penalty-saving prowess then came to the fore, saving his side in consecutive penalty shootouts.
04:48Before an extra-time finish from Mandzukic made Croatia the 13th country to reach a World Cup final.
04:56And the second smallest by both population and land area.
05:03The final against France did not go according to plan.
05:07But Croatia still returned to Zagreb to a hero's welcome.
05:15The Covid-interrupted Euros of 2020 were a disappointment.
05:19But the Croatian squad remained one of abundant quality, enhanced by the emergence of Jozko Gvaryol in defence.
05:27So a strong performance at Qatar 2022 was still expected.
05:33Even so, it was still an accomplishment to advance out of the group phase at favourite Belgium's expense.
05:40Then, for the second World Cup in a row, survive back-to-back penalty shootouts to reach the semi-finals.
05:47Dominic Livakovic this time, writing his name into history.
05:54Livakovic was powerless to deny Lionel Messi's destiny in the semi-finals.
05:58But victory over Morocco gave Croatia a second World Cup bronze medal, to go with silver and four years earlier.
06:09Seven possible World Cups as an independent country.
06:13Six appearances at the finals.
06:15And three visits to the podium.
06:18It is a remarkable record.
06:22The challenge now is maintaining that status as living legends depart the stage.
06:27Modric and Perisic continue to rage against the dying of the light.
06:32But there is only so long they can carry the team on their shoulders.
06:36The third golden generation does not appear to be forthcoming.
06:42But nobody would bet against one materialising.
06:46Croatia have proven repeatedly during their short existence that they are not to be underestimated.
06:52As a leading football nation.
06:56.
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