Croatia defeated Slovenia 2-1 in Varazdin in their final warm-up match before the 2026 World Cup on June 7 [1, 2, 3]. Mario Pasalic scored a volley deep in stoppage time to clinch the victory for Croatia [1, 2, 3].
Luka Modric opened the scoring for the hosts in the 51st minute, in what could be his last home international appearance at age 40 [1, 2, 3]. The veteran midfielder, who has scored 29 goals in 198 appearances for Croatia, received applause after discarding his protective mask following a cheekbone surgery six weeks earlier [2, 1, 3]. "Had this really, finally, been his last official appearance on Croatian soil?" noted The Guardian [2].
Slovenia equalized in the 83rd minute through Andraz Sporar after a defensive error by Croatia [1, 2, 3]. Croatia's goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic made several key saves to keep his team in the game [1, 2].
Croatia lost their previous warm-up fixture 0-2 against Belgium but bounced back with this win [1, 3]. The team will open their World Cup campaign against England on June 17 in Dallas [1, 2, 3].
