Croatia secured their place at the 2026 World Cup after a shaky 3–1 win over a spirited Faroe Islands side in Rijeka. The Netherlands are effectively through as well, while Germany must wait for their final Group A match to confirm their fate.
The night began with a scare for Croatia when Geza David Turi stunned the home crowd, firing from distance and beating Dominik Livakovic with the help of a deflection. But Josko Gvardiol quickly restored parity, punishing hesitant defending just seven minutes later. Petar Musa and Nikola Vlasic added goals to complete the turnaround and secure Croatia’s six-point lead over the Czech Republic with one match remaining.
Gvardiol celebrated the qualification with a message to supporters on X: “For Croatia, for the fans!”
Despite the result, the Faroe Islands—riding a three-match winning streak—showed they could trouble far stronger teams, briefly threatening an upset before Croatia’s experience and Luka Modric’s enduring influence in midfield took control.
Germany, meanwhile, still have work to do. Their 2–0 win at Luxembourg, courtesy of a Nick Woltemade brace, leaves their qualification dependent on Monday’s decisive home match against Slovakia.
