Croatia national football team performance and leadership

The Croatian national football team, led by coach Slaven Bilić, experienced a period of scrutiny and poor performance in late September 2026.

During a match in Prague, Bilić drew attention for failing to place his hand over his heart during the national anthem, a tradition unbroken since 1990. Reports suggested this was not a political statement but rather a lapse in focus following his time coaching abroad.

Shortly after, the team suffered a 4-1 defeat against Spain in the Nations League. Bilić criticized the squad for a lack of aggression and tactical intelligence, though he did praise Dion Drena Beljo for scoring his first international goal during the match.

In further analysis of the defeat, Bilić expressed deep disappointment regarding the team’s lack of defensive cohesion and failure to apply sufficient pressure on the Spanish side. He specifically highlighted the performance of Lamine Yamal, describing the young player as a ‘Ballon d’Or contender’ who successfully overcame both single and double coverage. Despite tactical efforts to neutralize Yamal using players such as Ivan Perišić and Mateo Kovačić, the Spanish attacker scored twice. Bilić emphasized the necessity for improved defensive organization and mental toughness moving forward, noting that the squad had previously seen success under his leadership, including a 2-1 victory against the Czech Republic in Prague.