Bosnia and Croatia spotlight standout players as they advance in the World Cup

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s national team, after reaching the World Cup’s second round, faced criticism from online commentators. Former Bosnian international Sergej Barbarez responded on Instagram, defending the squad and urging pride in the nation’s flag now flying on the global stage.

In Croatia’s World Cup match against Ghana, coach Zlatko Dalić started a line‑up without traditional wingers. Nikola Vlašić, a relatively unheralded forward, entered late and scored the winning goal, earning praise as a decisive “player of the day” and highlighting his positional intelligence alongside teammate Mario Pašalić.