90min

Croatia name 26-player squad for Euro 2020

By Harry Symeou

Croatia were runners up at the last World Cup
Croatia were runners up at the last World Cup / FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images
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Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic has named his provisional 26-man squad ahead of Euro 2020.

The Vatreni have never won a major tournament but to many people's surprise, they bettered their third-place finish in the 1998 World Cup by finishing as runners-up in Russia.

The 54-year-old coach received much praise for guiding his side all the way to the 2018 final but they were beaten by Didier Deschamps' France 4-2 in Moscow.

Along the way Croatia defeated England at the semi-final stage despite going behind early on to a Kieran Trippier goal but having suffered heartbreak in the final, with many of the same players at his disposal, albeit three years older, Dalic will be hoping to be equally as competitive in this tournament.

Luka Modric
Luka Modric won the Golden Ball at the 2018 World Cup and is still going strong at 35-years-old / Pixsell/MB Media/Getty Images

Due to the unprecedented circumstances around this season and the additional physical demand on players, UEFA have decided to extend the squad size from 23 to 26.

Real Madrid star Luka Modric headlines the talented squad, with Inter powerhouse Marcelo Brozovic and Chelsea playmaker Mateo Kovacic also among the top names included.

Luton Town stopper Simon Sluga also makes the cut, as does forgotten Atletico Madrid man Sime Vrsaljko.

Here's the 26 players Dalic has named.

26-player Belgium squad for Euro 2020

Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Lovre Kalinic (Hajduk Split), Simon Sluga (Luton Town)

Defenders: Sime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid), Domagoj Vida (Besiktas), Josip Juranovic (Legia Warsaw), Dejan Lovren (Zenit St Petersburg), Duje Caleta-Car (Olympique Marseille), Borna Barisic (Rangers), Mile Skoric (Osijek), Josko Gvardiol (Dinamo Zagreb), Domagoj Bradaric (Lille).

Midfielders: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Marcelo Brozovic (Inter), Milan Badelj (Genoa), Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea), Nikola Vlasic (CSKA Moscow), Mario Pasalic (Atalanta), Luka Ivanusec (Dinamo Zagreb).

Forwards: Bruno Petkovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ivan Perisic (Inter), Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim), Josip Brekalo (Vfl Wolfsburg), Ante Rebic (AC Milan), Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ante Budimir (Osasuna)

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