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Croatia's golden generation is reaching its twilight, but it's fair to say they haven't disappointed at all in the last decade and a half. The Blazers announced themselves on the world stage when they reached the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where they lost to a superior France team.
Ivan Rakitic has since retired from the national team. But the likes of Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Dejan Lovren continue to hold down the fort. Zlatko Dalic's side endured a tough run during the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, but they managed to edge Russia to finish at the top of Group H.
Croatia book place in Qatar
The fact that Croatia went into their last group game trailing Russia by two points was enough to put a lot of pressure on the Blazers.
However, playing in front of their home fans in Split, Croatia held their own. They eventually recorded a narrow 1-0 win over Russia to confirm their place at next year's FIFA World Cup.
The deciding goal came late in the game when Fedor Kudryashov's attempted clearance ended at the back of his own net. The goal may have come under fortuitous circumstances, but Croatia deserved it.
They completely dominated the Russians, and created the better chances. They also enjoyed a larger share of possession, as Russia only sat back and tried to secure a draw. In the end, Croatia's resolve paid off, and they're heading to Qatar after winning their group.
Dalic etches his name in history books
At full-time, one could not help but notice the tears in Dalic's eyes. They were tears of joy following yet another successful qualification campaign.
The 55-year-old is the first manager to lead Croatia to a FIFA World Cup final. His latest feat makes him the first to lead the country to three major tournaments.
"One of my biggest victories; it meant a lot to me,” an emotional Dalic said in the aftermath of the game, as quoted by Total Croatia.
“Especially because it was the final, played in front of a full stadium, and it took us to Qatar. I was just emotionally broken. This time I couldn't stand it, with so much pressure and stress. We wanted Croatia to qualify; we prevailed, in those moments I couldn't control myself, everything was released."
Dalic will be managing Croatia at a third straight major tournament. Having reached the final of the last World Cup, they could get second time lucky in Qatar. After all, this is football, and fairy tales happen.
