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Croatia was less than seven years old as independent nation when France ’98 kicked off.The fact that this fledgling and, at the time, war-ravaged country of just four million people was even represented on the global stage was impressive enough. But the team in the red-and-white chequered shirts had grander ambitions than simply taking part.They knew that, in the likes of Znonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki and Davor Suker, they boasted some of the most talented players at the tournament. They proved it too in brushing aside Jamaica, Japan and Gheorghe Hagi’s Romania en route to an unforgettable quarter-final meeting with Germany.Few thought them capable of challenging the three-time champions. No-one foresaw the Vatreni inflicting Germany’s heaviest World Cup defeat in four decades by racking up three unanswered goals. “That,” said Boban, “was the match of our lives.”Edged out by an unlikely Lilian Thuram brace in the last four, Croatia would nonetheless go on to claim bronze by beating a star-studded Netherlands side in the play-off for third place. “We made history,” said Suker, who returned home with the adidas Golden Boot after a six-goal campaign. “Coming third was incredible for a country with four million inhabitants that suffered so much in the war.” (FIFA+)
