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ALEXANDRIA, Va. - With their World Cup opener against England now five days away, two of Croatia's most experienced players used a press conference at their Alexandria base camp Friday to talk tactics, nerves and the memory of a penalty shootout that made them national heroes — and to send a message to a city that has begun adopting the Vatreni as its own.
Midfielders Mario Pašalić and Nikola Vlašić met the media at Episcopal High School, the campus serving as Croatia's home for the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Brief was the only English-language outlet in the room; team officials translated the Brief's question and the players' response into English before conducting the remainder of the press conference in Croatian. The remaining exchanges were translated from Croatian to English by The Alexandria Brief afterward.
A message to Alexandria's new fans
Asked what he would say to a brand-new Croatia fan in Alexandria — a diverse, soccer-loving city where many residents are adopting the team for the tournament — Pašalić said the welcome has not gone unnoticed. Walking around the team hotel, he said, the players have seen how friendly and welcoming local people have been. Now, he added, it is up to the team to show its best side during the tournament and reward that kindness by giving those new fans something to cheer.
It was a fitting answer from a squad whose footprint in the city is, by design, small. Croatia trains at Episcopal and lodges in Old Town, with little time outside the bubble — making the connection with Alexandria's residents, for now, a matter of glimpses around the hotel and a few hundred kids at Wednesday's community event.
Turning to England
If the city talk was warm, the football talk was clear-eyed. Both players turned quickly to England, the world-class side that awaits Croatia on June 17 in Arlington, Texas.
The key, Pašalić said, will be the defensive phase — staying compact and disciplined, and tracking back hard to avoid being caught in transition against a fast, dangerous opponent. Vlašić agreed that the priority is minimizing the space England's individual talents are given, with particular attention to set pieces and corners.
Vlašić, who played alongside England midfielder Declan Rice at West Ham, offered a teammate's scouting report: it was clear from the first day, he said, that Rice was world-class. Whichever side Rice played for in training tended to win, Vlašić recalled, crediting him with the speed, strength, technique and mentality to remain among the game's best.
Pašalić did not undersell the group. England is world-class, he said; Ghana was likely the toughest opponent available from the fourth pot of the draw; and Panama remains something of an unknown. For all the talk of an expanded, supposedly easier tournament, he described Croatia's group as a difficult one.
Calmer, and carrying Qatar with them
For Vlašić, this World Cup feels different from his first. He is significantly less nervous now, he said, with the experience of previous tournaments — and a third-place medal from Qatar in 2022 — leaving him far calmer. He believes this team is in good shape and hopes to repeat that Qatar run.
That 2022 campaign was built on nerve. Croatia advanced past both Japan and Brazil on penalty shootouts, and Pašalić recalled telling Vlašić immediately after the Japan match that they wanted the responsibility of taking kicks — they felt confident and ready. Vlašić admitted it was a high-stakes gamble, but said he volunteered to go first, and was glad to have delivered both times.
Pašalić, asked how this squad compares to the Qatar team, said the blend is similar — a mix of youth and experience at roughly the same level of quality. A repeat is not guaranteed, he said, but it is exactly what they are chasing.
Built to adapt
Both players returned, repeatedly, to flexibility — the sense that this Croatia team can bend without breaking. Pašalić, who began his career as a classic central midfielder and has since played nearly everywhere for club and country, said modern football demands players comfortable in multiple systems, whether three or four at the back. Croatia has traditionally played a four, he noted, but many of its players use a back three at their clubs, and the team can shift comfortably between them.
It is a versatility that mirrors the squad itself — veterans like Pašalić, 31, and Vlašić, 28, alongside the next generation, all of it now headquartered, for as long as the run lasts, in Alexandria.
Croatia continues training at Episcopal through the group stage before traveling to Texas for the England opener. After Arlington, the team faces Panama on June 23 in Toronto and Ghana on June 27 in Philadelphia — returning to its Alexandria base after each match.
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