Spain vs Croatia: World Cup 2026 Round of 32 Preview & Prediction

Reigning European champions Spain are the form team of the tournament with the youngest attack of any contender. Croatia, perennial overachievers, lean on the evergreen Modrić in what is almost certainly his last World Cup. This Round of 32 tie kicks off on June 29, 2026 · 6:00 PM PT at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California, with a place in the next round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on the line.

Tactical preview

A midfield chess match between the holders of possession football. Spain's teenage wingers Yamal and Nico Williams stretch the pitch; Croatia counter with the positional intelligence of Modrić to slow the tempo. Whoever wins the central third wins the tie.

Form and key players

Spain arrive ranked #2 in the world on recent form of W-W-W, spearheaded by Lamine Yamal. Croatia (ranked #9) come in on D-W-W and will look to Luka Modrić to swing the contest. With the expected-goals model reading 1.7 - 1.2 in Spain's favour, the margins are fine.

Spain vs Croatia prediction

WorldCupElite's model projects a 2-1 result in favour of Spain, giving Spain a 55% win probability against Croatia's 20% (draw 25%). As a single-elimination knockout, expect a cautious opening before the game opens up — and do not rule out extra time.