Dalić: Croatia must "forget England" and turn to Panama

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A day after Croatia opened its World Cup with a 4-2 loss to England, head coach Zlatko Dalić delivered a blunt assessment of what went wrong — and a clear message about what comes next.

"We will not stop believing," Dalić said at a press conference, according to the Croatian Football Federation. The coach told his squad to put the opener behind them and focus on Panama, the Group L opponent Croatia faces June 23 in Toronto in what has become a near must-win after the defeat.

Dalić did not soften the loss. He credited England as the better side — faster, stronger and better organized — but reserved his sharpest words for Croatia's set-piece defending, which he called the worst of his tenure. Croatia, he said, conceded repeatedly from dead-ball situations despite preparing for exactly that, losing discipline and concentration on England's corners. Most of England's first-half danger, he noted, came not from open play but from set pieces.

The coach also pushed back on suggestions that his tactical setup was to blame. The system was not the problem, he said; gifting a quality opponent three goals was. Dalić indicated Croatia would return to its usual formation against Panama and adjust its approach to set pieces, framing the fix as a matter of individual responsibility rather than wholesale change.

Familiar faces in the analysis

For readers of The Alexandria Brief who have been following our coverage of the team this past week, Dalić's review featured several familiar names.

He singled out Martin Baturina and Luka Sučić for strong performances, praising Baturina's long-range goal and noting that Petar Musa also scored. Dalić explained that Musa and Igor Matanović had been chosen ahead of striker Ante Budimir against England for their defensive contribution — but said Budimir will come into the side against Panama.

Dalić also defended goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, who made a series of saves to keep Croatia in the match. The coach said the team had stood by Livaković through a difficult stretch and that the goalkeeper was repaying that faith. He expressed hope Livaković would have far less to do in the matches ahead.

On captain Luka Modrić — playing in what is widely expected to be his final World Cup — Dalić said the 40-year-old was involved in both Croatia goals, but that the team as a whole faded and left too much space as the match wore on. The problem, he stressed, was collective, not Modrić alone.

A grievance, and a path forward

Dalić made plain his frustration with one moment in particular: Kane's opening penalty, which was retaken and converted after Livaković was ruled to have come off his line too early on the initial save. Saving that penalty, the coach suggested, could have shifted the match's momentum. He questioned the precise moment the replay was judged but said he had not pressed the referee for an explanation.

Still, his overall message was one of calm rather than crisis. Dalić said there would be no scapegoats, that responsibility was his, and that two matches remain with everything still in Croatia's hands. He said he had advised his players to read as little coverage as possible and to keep believing.

The schedule ahead

Croatia continues training at its Alexandria base through the weekend before traveling to Toronto for the Panama match. The team is expected to return to the Alexandria area after the game, then close out the group stage against Ghana.

Remaining group-stage matches (times ET):

Tue, June 23, 7:00 p.m.: Panama vs. Croatia, BMO Field, Toronto
Sat, June 27, 5:00 p.m.: Croatia vs. Ghana, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia — the group finale, and the one match within driving distance of Alexandria

Croatia needs results in both remaining matches to reach the expanded tournament's Round of 32, which begins June 28 and takes the top two from each group plus the eight best third-place finishers.