The Croatia national football team has only competed in the FIFA World Cup since 1998. Prior to this time the squad was part of the Yugoslavian team. After failing to qualify for the 2010 World Cup the team were determined to qualify this year and make the trip to Brazil. It was a long and fraught battle but the team succeeded, the Croatia football shirt will appear at Brazil 2014!Croatia Football Kit
As a newly formed team in 1991, they needed a whole new look for the Croatia soccer kit. Miroslav Sutej initially conceptualized the now iconic red and white chequered design of the Croatia football shirt. After a brief spell with Lotto, Nike took over as the team's kit manufacturer in 2002. You can shop for the brand new Croatia soccer jersey at Soccer Box and get ready to cheer on the team in Brasil!
In preparation for their World Cup campaign Nike has recently launched the Croatia 2014 FIFA World Cup home jersey. Nike has used the red and white chequered pattern magnificently. The front of the shirt is all chequered. The top half of the back is plain red the bottom is chequered. A smart v-neck collar is outlined in red, the sleeve trims are white. Overall, this is a stylish kit that will look great on the pitch.
World Cup Qualifying
This years World Cup is being staged in Brazil. No team wanted to miss the opportunity of playing in the world's most prestigious soccer tournament, especially one held in Brazil. It was a tough qualifying period for the Croatian squad; they were forced into the play-offs to ensure qualification. However, the team pulled through and the Croatia 2014 FIFA World Cup home jersey will get its outing in Brasil.
The Croatia national football team was drawn into Group A of the UEFA qualifying tournament, alongside Wales, Scotland, Belgium, Serbia and Macedonia. Only the top team in each group would ensure automatic qualification. The Croatians played well and won 5 of their 10 games. They lost 3 and drew 2 securing a total of 17 points. However, this wasn't enough to finish the group 1st, Belgium qualified with 26 points.
As one of the top-scoring runners up, the team that wears the Croatia football shirt would need to enter the second round, also known as the play-offs. The play-off would be a 2-leg match against one of the other highest scoring runners up. The teams were seeded according to FIFA Rankings giving Croatia an advantage and the opportunity to be drawn against a non-seeded team.
Iceland was the lowest ranked team by FIFA; the draw was in Croatia's favor as Iceland was picked as their opponent. The Croatian team struggled away from home in the 1st leg and only managed a 0-0 draw. However, the team worked hard during the 2nd leg. The 1st goal came after 27 minutes, a 2nd was added in the 47th securing the teams passage to Brazil. This will be the 4th World Cup to feature the Croatia football shirt.
Croatia National Soccer Team World Cup History
The team 1st qualified for a World Cup in 1998 when the tournament was held in France. Amazingly, for their 1st appearance the team progressed through the group stages, and made it to the semi-final, where the eventual winner France knocked them out. This startling performance ensured that the team wearing the Croatia football shirt was seen as a powerful opponent.
Unfortunately after their 1st strong performance Croatia has failed to make it out of the group stages. Croatia has been drawn into a tough group for the 2014 FIFA World Cup; Group A. The Croatia 2014 FIFA World Cup home jersey will have it's debut appearance against the host nation Brazil. As well as Brasil, Croatia has been drawn alongside Mexico and Cameroon for the 1st stage of the tournament.
Outlook for the 2014 FIFA World Cup
Playing on home soil Brazil is the firm favorite to win and is sure to progress through the group stage. Both Mexico and Cameroon have several strong players and can be a tough side to beat. The top 2 teams from each group progress to the knockout stage. Brazil is likely to hold the top spot but it is anyone's guess who might be 2nd. The players wearing the Croatia football shirt fought hard for their place and are unlikely to let it slip away easily. Group A is a group to watch!
The World Cup is Approaching Fast Shop for Your Croatia Football Shirt Now.
