Zlatko Dalić steps down as Croatia coach after World Cup exit
Dalić has told the Croatian Football Federation he is ending his nine-year reign, days after Croatia's 2–1 Round of 32 loss to Portugal.
Zlatko Dalić has informed the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) that he is ending his time as head coach of the national team, closing out a nine-year spell that redefined Croatian football.
The decision, announced July 8, 2026, comes less than a week after Croatia's 2–1 loss to Portugal in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup.
Dalić took charge in 2017 and went on to lead Croatia through the most successful stretch in its history: a run to the World Cup final in 2018, where the Vatreni took silver, a bronze-medal finish at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and a silver medal in the 2023 UEFA Nations League.
"I leave with a fulfilled heart, proud of my contribution to the greatest successes of Croatian soccer in history, and I wish my successor, the national team and Croatian soccer many new successes," Dalić said in his statement.
The HNS has not yet named a successor.