Croatia have consistently punched above their weight in the biggest arenas in world football, and they are out to do so again at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025™.
A nation of under four million people, the country boasts a rich history of producing technically supreme players who get fans off their feet. As such, Croatia could be one of the teams to watch out for at the newly-expanded U-17 tournament.
Coach Marijan Budimir will guide the Croatians in Qatar, and he explained how a deep sense of national pride will fuel his players at the global finals.
“They want to present Croatia in the best way,” he told FIFA. “In every sport, especially in football, we never give up. We have our Croatian pride. We are a small country, but since we gained independence and our first (senior) World Cup in 1998, we have two bronze medals and one silver medal. Only Germany and France have more medals in that period, and that is incredible.”
Budimir, who played for Croatia at U-17 and U-19 level, added: “For our players, going to Qatar will be very memorable. They want to play against the best of the best. We have quality, we have good players, and we will try to win every game.”
Budimir was appointed in February 2024 and has led Croatia to U-17 World Cup qualification for the first time in ten years.
He has experience of coaching teams to outstanding performances in international tournaments, having masterminded Hajduk Split’s remarkable UEFA Youth League run in 2022/23. They knocked out European powerhouses Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and AC Milan on their way to the final, where they were beaten by AZ.
“We beat big clubs with big money,” said Budimir. “They are clubs who have everything. In Hajduk, it’s difficult to compare. We had just one pitch for training, you know? It was an amazing achievement and I’m very proud of what we did.”
Budimir is now aiming to go deep on the global stage at Qatar 2025, where his Croatia team will do battle with Senegal, Costa Rica and United Arab Emirates in Group C. Read on for more of our exclusive interview with the 44-year-old, who discusses his side’s front-foot philosophy, the key elements which help Croatia develop elite footballers, and Luka Modric’s influence on today’s generation.
Marijan Budimir: It’s a privilege and honour to be in the World Cup in Qatar. I think the organisation will be perfect. We are very excited because it’s the first time we have qualified since 2015. We will do everything we can to be prepared to give our best.
We have our ideas and principles, and we train them every time we’re together. We want to control the game. Like all of the Croatian national teams (at age group and senior level), we want the ball, we are technically good, and we know how to play football. But also, we know how to adapt against different opponents.
In youth age groups, the most important thing is the development of the players. We want them, one day, to be senior Croatian national team players. It’s also important for them to gain a winning mentality, and to play against the best squads. And overall, playing at the World Cup will be a very big moment for them. Maybe some of the players will go to play in a top division, some will go on to play in the national team, but some of them will not play in what people may say is ‘the big stage’. But I think this World Cup is the big stage, so they will remember it for their whole lives.
Of course, there is natural talent, and football is the number one sport in Croatia. Everybody knows Luka Modric and Davor Suker. We also have a very good educational system and very good coaches. When you put those things together, then you can produce quality players.
Luka Modric is one of the greatest in the history. When young people see him, he’s their idol. He’s an example of the player that they want to be, on the pitch and outside the pitch. He’s an ambassador for Croatia everywhere in the world. Luka is like one in a million.
My players. We don’t just have good individuals, we play as a team. When you play as a team, then the individual quality will come. Of course, we have a small base. We are not like England, France, Germany or Spain. We have maybe one thousand players to choose from, and Germany maybe have 50,000. So, every player is important for us and I’m just hoping that they will stay healthy. I know that they will give 100 per cent and that I will be proud of them.
Photos: Croatian Football Federation
