#2 Ivan Rakitic
Sitting alongside Luka Modric in the heart of Croatia’s midfield will be Ivan Rakitic. The other half of the visionary Croat duo, Rakitic is the metronomic passer, much in the mould of Xavi Hernandez, whom he replaced at Barcelona.
While Modric plays the eye-catching passes, Rakitic sits deeper and ensures Croatia hogs the ball against virtually any opposition they face. 28-year-old Rakitic made his international debut in 2007 and has been a permanent fixture in the Croatia midfield since then. Rakitic also provides crucial goals, having scored 11 in his 76 apps thus far.
Barcelona pulled off a transfer coup of sorts when they recruited Rakitic from Sevilla in the summer of 2014-15. He went on to win a treble that season which included the Champions League. Long recognised as one of the most accurate passers in the modern day, Croatia will rely on Rakitic to ensure their attacking unit is kept well fed on a diet of sublime passes.
