Croatia extended their flawless start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, defeating 10-man Montenegro 4-0 in Zagreb. The victory not only maintains their perfect record at the halfway mark of the qualifying campaign but also extends their impressive unbeaten streak in home World Cup qualifying matches to nine years.
Despite a sluggish start, where Montenegro’s defense held firm, Croatia found their breakthrough in the 35th minute. The ever-present Luka Modric initiated the move, finding Kristijan Jakic on the right flank. Jakic, with some impressive footwork, curled a beautiful shot into the far corner for his first international goal.
Montenegro’s troubles worsened just moments later when Andrija Bulatovic was sent off for a second bookable offense, leaving his team with a daunting task.
Croatia wasted no time capitalizing on their numerical advantage in the second half. Just six minutes after the restart, a slick combination between Bayern Munich’s Josip Stanisic and Hoffenheim’s Andrej Kramaric saw the latter tap in his sixth goal of the qualifying cycle.
The rout was completed with two late goals. The third came from an own goal by Edvin Kuc, who deflected a shot from Lovro Majer into his own net. The final goal was a brilliant strike from Ivan Perisic, who fired a first-time shot into the bottom corner following another excellent pass from Majer.
With a game in hand over second-placed Czech Republic, Croatia appears well on its way to securing a spot in the World Cup for the seventh time in eight attempts as an independent nation. Montenegro, on the other hand, faces a steep climb, now six points adrift of the Czechs.
