The Croatian team that came to the United States for this year's World Cup does not seem totally ready to enter a new era. After back-to-back semifinal appearances, why would it be? Croatia has arrived in the Washington,

Luka Modric has sent a defiant message to his rivals ahead of Croatia's high-stakes World Cup opener against England, insisting that his side does not fear anyone. The AC Milan midfielder, who is appearing in his fifth global tournament,

Germany defeated Croatia, while Japan and the Netherlands played out a draw in ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.

Croatia have caused England problems in the past, so the football focus is already intense. But supporters heading to AT&T Stadium are also bracing for a different kind of shock. The cost of beer, water and food is already shaping up to be one of the first big off-pitch stories of England’s tournament.

The build-up to the tournament has been mixed, as England qualified with ease but struggled during the March internationals against Japan and Uruguay. They did however beat both New Zealand and Costa Rica in their two warm-up matches prior to the World Cup,