Croatia and Serbia Combined XI: FIFA WC 22 Preview

The rivalry between Croatia and Serbia is as intense and hostile as it can get. Born out of ethnic and political turmoil, it has played out time and again in football at both club and country levels. Matches between Red Star Belgrade and Dinamo Zagreb have sparked riots among supporters in the past.

Since Croatia disintegrated from former Yugoslavia, it has been the more successful side of the two. While Serbia would at times fail to make it to the Euros and bow out at group stages of World Cups, Croatia finished 3rd in France 1998 and runners-up in Russia 2018 among other good results. But the roles could get reversed this time. Serbia is fielding what could be their strongest squad in years when Croatia finds a lot of its stars at the tail-ends of their careers.

Just as a fun exercise, I thought of putting together a combined eleven of current players from these two former Yugoslavia members.

Honorable Mentions: Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea/ Croatia), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio/ Serbia), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim/ Croatia)

Formation: 3–5–2

GK: Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb/ Croatia)

Dominik Livakovic wasn’t the automatic first-choice for Croatia when Danijel Subasic retired from international football in 2018. But underperformance from Lovre Kalinic gave Livakovic an opportunity, which he made the most of. Livakovic, who was part of UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season in 2020/21, also came to notice recently for his strong performance in Zagreb’s 1–0 win over Chelsea in the Champions League.

LCB: Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig/ Croatia)

At the age of 20, Josko Gvardiol is already a key member of the RB Leipzig setup and is likely to earn a big money transfer soon. It’s important to note that this wouldn’t be Gvardiol’s first major international tournament. The versatile defender, who performs beyond his years on the pitch, started in all the games for Croatia at Euro 2020. This Kopa Trophy nominee is definitely one to look out for in Qatar.

CB: Domagoj Vida (AEK Athens/ Croatia)

With the other two center-backs being under the age of 25, we need someone experienced to anchor the defense and Damagoj Vida is exactly the guy. Currently at AEK Athens, not playing in the top 5 leagues hasn’t been a problem for the veteran defender who is closing 100 caps for his country. Vida’s seamless ability to operate as both fullback and center-back also adds to his case.

RCB: Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina/ Serbia)

The 2018 FIFA World Cup didn’t go as planned for Serbia as they lost to Brazil and Switzerland in the group stages (both of whom they’ll again face in Qatar). One of the bright spots though was the performance of a then 20-year-old Nikola Milenkovic. The Fiorentina man will once again be a key presence in Serbian defense that focuses on numbers more than big names.

LWB: Filip Kostic (Juventus/ Serbia)

Filip Kostic’s heroics for Eintracht Frankfurt was one of the key storylines of the 21–22 season. What started with rumors of Kostic being unhappy about not leaving for Lazio, ended with a historic Europa League win, via famous victories at Seville, Barcelona, and London. With the strikers this team has up front (you’ll see), Kostic’s crossing abilities, one of the many key aspects of his game, will be very valuable.

CM: Luka Modric (Real Madrid/ Croatia)

I’ve never seen a 37-year-old footballer with the level of energy and drive that this man has for the game. Even at this age, Modric is as composed, as creative, as press-resistance, and as exciting to watch as he has ever been. His ability to control the game and affect it at critical junctions still remains unmatched. Need we say more?

CM: Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan/ Croatia)

There aren’t many defensive midfielders in the game better than Marcelo Brozovic. While his role requires him to stay defensive and deep-lying, Brozovic also makes important contributions during the attacking phase. He is great at reading the game and distributing the ball, while also carrying it from time to time. And Brozovic does all this while ensuring that the defense remains unharmed.

CAM: Dusan Tadic (Ajax/ Serbia)

Since he joined Ajax in 2018, Dusan Tadic has been averaging over 0.9 goal contributions per game for his club. This includes a L’Equipe 10/10 performance against Real Madrid in the 2018–19 UCL season. The Serbian captain will be the main creative outlet for his side, supplying his strikers with goal-scoring opportunities while trying to chip in a few himself too.

RWB: Ivan Perisic (Tottenham Hotspur/ Croatia)

Ivan Perisic, generally a second striker, left winger, or left wing-back, is placed here in a somewhat unusual position. But I took the liberty to include one of my favorite players on the team. Perisic is a proven big-match player with an unmatched work ethic, who supports his team in both attack and defense. Who wouldn’t like to have such a player in their lineup?

CF: Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus/ Serbia)

At just 22 years of age, Dusan Vlahovic is already one of the best strikers in Serie A, if not the world. His goal-scoring exploits at Fiorentina earned him a high-value winter transfer to Juventus. And while the ship hasn’t been steady at the Old Lady, Vlahovic’s massive talent and potential remain unquestioned. World Cup 2022 could just be his breakthrough international tournament.

CF: Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham/ Serbia)

Looking at Aleksandar Mitrovic’s remarkable record for Serbia (49 goals in 75 games), it’s easy to forget that he is still 28, with so much more to offer. While Championship has always been his playground, he has struggled with consistency at the PL level in the past. But even that seems to have been overcome this year. With the form Mitrovic has been in and considering how strong Serbia looks, he should be one of the Golden Boot candidates in Qatar.