Croatia heads to World Cup opener against England with optimism from Matanović and Jakić

Croatia's national football team arrived in the United States for the World Cup, having spent a brief training camp in Alexandria, Egypt. Forward Igor Matanović, speaking at a press conference before the team's first match, described his debut at the tournament as the biggest moment of his life and emphasized the role of faith, noting that the squad will attend church services on Sundays. Midfielder Kristijan Jakić recalled his single minute of play in the previous World Cup as a career highlight and expressed confidence that the team will compete strongly against England, who are regarded as tournament favorites. The "Vatreni" will open the competition in Dallas against England, a fixture the players expect to be challenging but are prepared for. Team officials also mentioned that possible thunderstorms in Alexandria could temporarily halt training, but the squad remains focused on the upcoming games.