Croatia arrive for their elimination game against Portugal with a downward trend next to their name in the FIFA World Rankings. That’s largely due to the rough outings Vatreni have had in the 2026 World Cup so far. However, that could all be in the past.
As it stands, Croatia hold the No. 13 position with 1,723.05 points in the FIFA World Rankings. Just a couple of points behind Germany (No. 12), a win would almost certainly help head coach Zlatko Dalic and his team climb one spot and overtake the Germans.
Still, the updated FIFA rankings are unofficial. The governing body last updated the rankings before the start of the 2026 World Cup and won’t make the final adjustments until the tournament concludes. Thus, Croatia’s current position at No. 13 is only where they would rank if the World Cup ended right now.
Croatia dropped two spots since World Cup began
Entering the 2026 World Cup, Croatia were ranked No. 11, meaning they have dropped two spots. Officially, however, they are still the No. 11 team in the world. Maybe not for much longer, though, if they suffer an early elimination.
Josip Sutalo of Croatia
The Blazers are well aware of what will happen with a win, tie, or loss against the Lusos, and even if it’s the last of their concerns, their position in the governing body’s rankings would be affected too. The same logic applies for Portugal and their FIFA ranking. Still, that doesn’t feel too important now.
All Croatia—and Portugal— care about is advancing to the next round. If their FIFA ranking improves along the way, then so be it. However, it’s not as if their current standing is something to be ashamed of. Have Croatia been higher before? They have, but they’ve also seen much lower rankings, so it balances out.
Croatia’s best and worst ranks
Croatia have ranked as low as No. 125 in the FIFA World Rankings and finished a calendar year as low as No. 122 (in 1993). As for their best ranking ever, Croatia reached No. 3 in 1999 and finished fourth in 1998 and 2018, largely thanks to their strong finishes during those years’ World Cup.
Having reached soaring heights and plumbed rare depths, it’s safe to say not many national teams have experienced both ends of the spectrum.
