Dalić is aware that Croatia faces a difficult task.

“A tough match awaits us, the start of the World Cup, and the toughest opponent possible. We’ve prepared well, and I’d be happy if we show that tomorrow. England is an important match, but not a decisive one. We know their quality — they are dangerous, especially down the wings, and they have one of the best strikers in the world. We will give our best, we won’t just defend, we want more. That’s how we prepared.”

On Luka Vušković…

“He had an excellent season and has huge potential. In my opinion, he will succeed Gvardiol in every way. He’s intelligent and thinks well in a demanding position. We’ll see what we do with him against England, but I believe he will prove himself at the World Cup and become a key player for Croatia for the next 15 years. The most important thing for him is to find a club where he will continue playing regularly, but Croatia has an outstanding player in him for the next 15 years.”

On Modrić…

“Of course he means a lot to us, as the captain of our team and my right-hand man on the pitch. It means a great deal to our team that we have several experienced players alongside Luka who lead this generation. We have young players, and they should be happy to have Luka next to them — he shows them how to work, how to fight for the Croatian jersey. Thank God he is still with us.”

On medals and expectations…

“It feels the same as the first time. The medals were amazing; nobody expected them. We created a world miracle, but that is history. We cannot live off that forever. Now we want to achieve great things again, and we have big ambitions. We are ready for high expectations, but there are many other teams with quality who want the same as we do.”