Croatia wrapped up their 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a dramatic 3–2 comeback victory away to Montenegro. Despite falling 2–0 behind after just 17 minutes, Zlatko Dalić’s side rallied through goals from Ivan Perišić, Kristijan Jakić, and Nikola Vlašić to secure all three points and finish their group unbeaten.
Match report
The night began with a scare. Igor Matanović headed just over the bar in the second minute, but moments later Croatia were stunned. Duje Ćaleta-Car’s misjudged header and misplaced pass allowed Milutin Osmajić to steal in, race clear, and slot past Dominik Livaković for 1–0.
Things went from bad to worse in the 17th minute. Nikola Krstović muscled past Josip Šutalo on the edge of the box, turned sharply, and fired a low drive into the far corner to double Montenegro’s lead.
Despite the deficit, Croatia dominated possession and kept pressing. The turning point came eight minutes before the break when Kristijan Jakić was brought down in the box by Slobodan Rubedžić. After a VAR review, the referee awarded a penalty, and Ivan Perišić calmly converted from the spot to make it 2–1 in the 37th minute.
Dalić reshuffled his side early in the second half, making four substitutions by the hour mark as Croatia pushed for an equalizer. They survived a scare when Krstović struck the post from a near-identical position to his earlier goal, but the momentum had shifted.
In the 72nd minute, Croatia were level. Petar Musa’s shot cannoned off the upright, and Kristijan Jakić reacted fastest to tuck in the rebound. The assistant’s flag went up, but VAR overturned the offside call — 2–2, and Croatia were back in it.
Then came the decisive moment. With six minutes left, a poor defensive touch in midfield gifted Nikola Vlašić possession. The Torino midfielder surged forward, shrugged off his pursuers, and unleashed a thunderous strike from the edge of the box that beat Igor Nikić for 3–2.
In stoppage time, Livaković ensured the comeback was complete with a brilliant reflex save from point-blank range to deny Milan Vukotić, preserving the win.
Croatia had already sealed its ticket to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, but this final match underlined their dominance. Across eight matches, Dalić’s team recorded seven victories and one draw, finishing comfortably top of the group with 22 points, six clear of second-placed Czech Republic.
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