Mateo Kovačić — Plantilla de Croacia para el Mundial 2026

Mateo Kovacic has spent a career being underrated by everyone except the managers who pick him. With 111 Croatia convocatorias, three Champions League titles at Real Madrid, and a growing role at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola, Kovacic arrives at the 2026 Mundial as the centrocampista who makes every team he joins function better, even if his contribution rarely appears on a scoresheet.

Career Highlights

Kovacic won three consecutive Champions League titles with Real Madrid from 2016 to 2018, though his role in the first two was as a rotation player behind Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Casemiro. His individual peak came in the 2018 Mundial, where he started six of seven matches and produced a commanding performance in the quarter-final against Russia that showcased his ball-carrying ability under pressure. At Chelsea, he won the 2021 Champions League and was named Chelsea Player of the Year in the 2019-20 season. His move to Manchester City in 2023 added another Champions League medal, though an ankle injury limited his contributions in the latter stages.

Club Career

Kovacic joined Inter Milan's academy at age 13 and made his first-team debut at 16, becoming the youngest debutant in Inter's history at the time. Real Madrid signed him in 2015 for a reported 29 million euros, and he spent three seasons learning from Modric and Kroos before forcing a move to Chelsea in search of regular starts. At Chelsea, he transformed from a tidy passer into a dominant ball-carrier, completing more dribbles than any other centrocampista in the 2019-20 Premier League season. His 2023 transfer to Manchester City for 25 million euros reunited him with Guardiola's system, where his press resistance and ability to receive between the lines proved more valuable than his modest goal return of 12 in 111 international appearances.

International Career & Mundial History

Kovacic made his Croatia debut in 2013 at age 19 and has been a fixture in every major tournament since, accumulating 111 convocatorias. The 2018 Mundial represented his international peak: his partnership with Modric and Ivan Rakitic powered Croatia to the final, where his tireless pressing and ball progression allowed Modric to conserve energy for the final third. The 2022 Mundial saw a reduced role as age caught up with Rakitic and Kovacic assumed more responsibility, starting five matches and producing a composed display in the quarter-final victory over Brazil. He scored his first Mundial goal in the third-place playoff against Morocco.

Mundial 2026 Outlook

At 32, Kovacic faces the unenviable task of replacing Modric as Croatia's midfield conductor. His ball-carrying ability, which sees him average 4.3 progressive carries per 90 minutes at City, provides Croatia with a transition weapon that fewer teams possess. The partnership with Marcelo Brozovic in midfield will determine whether Croatia can maintain their remarkable tournament record. If Kovacic stays fit, he starts every match. The question is whether he can elevate his influence from reliable to decisive in Modric's absence.