Croatia rallied from a shock deficit to defeat the Faroe Islands 3-1 in Rijeka on Friday, sealing their place at the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Geza David Turi had stunned the hosts with an early strike, giving the Faroes a surprising lead. However, goals from Josko Gvardiol, Petar Musa, and Nikola Vlasic turned the game in Croatia’s favour, booking their ticket to the finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The victory extended Croatia’s lead at the top of Group L to six points over the Czech Republic, with just one game remaining.
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For the Faroes, the defeat ended their faint dream of becoming the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup finals, as they can no longer catch the Czechs or secure a play-off spot.
Turi opened the scoring in stunning fashion on 16 minutes, collecting the ball just inside the Croatian half before charging forward unchallenged and curling a deflected strike from outside the box.
The lead lasted only seven minutes as Manchester City defender Gvardiol fired home an equaliser from a tight angle following some hesitant Faroes defending.
Croatia took control in the second half when Musa slotted home at the near post 12 minutes after the restart, easing the pressure on the hosts and setting the stage for Vlasic to seal the win.
