Australian-born forward Adrian Segecic is being tipped to be a possible ‘trump card’ for Croatia at the World Cup after making a strong impression in his first camp since changing allegiances.
The 21-year-old Portsmouth winger was called into camp by Australia last year, but declared for the Vatreni last month and was immediately selected by the European nation’s Under-21 side, providing an assist on his debut against Turkiye.
“I am delighted with Segečić. Not just me, the whole staff,” he said.
“When we saw him at the first real training session of the young national team, after three minutes Niko Kranjčar and I said: “He must be playing!”
“Segečić is a player for the A national team. It is different from all the ones we have.”
The Sydney FC product has been in red hot form in the Championship since making his decision to declare for the nation of his heritage at international level.
In his last five matches, Segecic has scored four goals and provided three assists for Portsmouth, headlined by a hat-trick against Stoke City in his most recent outing.
“The quality with which he has charmed experts in the young line-up, and the most notable are his speed and dribbling on the move, his great ball control and shooting technique, agility and dexterity,” writes Drazen Antolic for Sportske Novoski.
“In other words everything that Vatreni are crying out for and missing so much because that profile is lacking in our country, and he can play as a winger, especially on the right, and as a number ten, giving him a strong tailwind to immediately get on the selector’s radar.”
However, that report does note that Dalic has a policy of not introducing players into the national team ‘overnight’.
Although, Segecic may be a ‘secret weapon’ who rivals will not be able to prepare for.
According to Direktno.hr, he could be a ‘hidden trump card for the World Cup’.
Segecic scores HAT-TRICK in the Championship
Iran will be at World Cup and play in the US: Infantino
FIFA president Gianni Infantino continues to insist Iran will play World Cup matches in the United States, even as the world soccer governing body’s Congress began in the absence of the Iranian delegation.
The Iranian delegation’s absence in Vancouver on Thursday only highlighted the tensions and challenges surrounding the tournament, but Infantino declared bullishly: “Let me start at the outset. Of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026. And of course Iran will play in the United States of America.
“And the reason for that is very simple — we have to unite. It is my responsibility, our responsibility.”
Iranian football federation officials, including president Mehdi Taj, were due to attend the gathering but turned back at Toronto airport after what Tehran described as “unacceptable behaviour” by Canadian immigration authorities, despite travelling with valid visas.
A source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters two members of the delegation could have attended the FIFA congress but chose not to after one of their delegation was denied entry into Canada.
Taj is a former member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Canadian officials said entry decisions were made on a case-by-case basis and individuals linked to the IRGC, which Ottawa designates as a terrorist organisation, are inadmissible.
“I can provide the following assurances and facts. One is that, as you know, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and all those members have been listed as a terrorist organisation for several years,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said.
“The members are prohibited from coming. We have a series of screenings, and we take action. And no members have entered the country. Action has been taken appropriately.”
Iran’s absence deprived the congress of direct representation from a country whose presence at the 2026 World Cup is already shaping behind-the-scenes discussions and the issue is particularly acute given the tournament’s cross-border nature.
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The expanded 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, will require teams, officials and support staff to move repeatedly between jurisdictions, raising the prospect that visa restrictions or diplomatic frictions could complicate planning for certain nations.
Iran have qualified for the tournament, but their participation has been fraught, with Tehran requesting alternative venues for matches on US soil.
FIFA has rejected the request, insisting the schedule would stand. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week Washington had no objections to Iranian players participating in the World Cup but added that the players would not be allowed to bring with them people with ties to the IRGC.
Iran soccer chief denied entry for FIFA event: report
Canadian foreign affairs minister Anita Anand says it is her “understanding” that Iranian soccer officials were denied entry into her country ahead of the FIFA Congress meeting in Vancouver just weeks before the start of the World Cup.
Anand on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) appeared to confirm a report from Tasnim, an Iranian news agency associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but said the denial was “unintentional”.
Tasnim reported that Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj and two other officials were denied entry due to “inappropriate behaviour of immigration officials” at Toronto’s Pearson Airport.
“It’s not my personal lead, but my understanding is that there is a revocation of the permission. It was unintentional, but I’ll leave it to the minister to indicate,” Anand said, apparently referring to Immigration Minister Lena Diab.
Canada’s foreign affairs minister Anita Anand said the entry denial was “unintentional”. (AP PHOTO)
The online news outlet Iran International first reported that Taj had been granted a visa on Monday and had been removed from Canada late on Tuesday evening because of his connections to the IRGC, a listed terrorist entity in Canada.
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An emailed response from Diab’s office said all visa applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by trained officials.
“While we cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy laws, the government has been clear and consistent: IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country,” said Taous Ait, Diab’s press secretary.
The FIFA Congress gathering comes weeks before the start of a World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. Representatives from each of the 211 federations in soccer’s governing body were expected to attend the event, which begins on Thursday (local time).
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Iran’s status for the event.
Additional reporting by Associated Press, Reuters via AAP