November 22, 2024 – Croatia and France will meet in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals next year!
The draw in Nyon determined the quarter-final pairs today. Croatia will host the first match at home on March 20 and visit France three days later on March 23. If they qualify for the semi-finals, they will play the winner of the Netherlands and Spain.
Without seeding status and as the second-placed team in their group, Croatia was placed in the second pot of the draw. Having played Portugal in the group stage, they could face Germany, France or Spain.
The draw initially brought Croatia and Portugal together, but since the two teams met in the group stage, Portugal was redirected to Denmark and Croatia got France.
Croatia defeated France in their last match of 2022 in the Nations League (1-0). They have tied three times and lost six times, and the most memorable defeats were in the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup and the final of the 2018 World Cup. Since the clash in Russia for the World Cup gold, Croatia and France have played four times. Zlatko Dalić’s team has achieved a positive result on the last two occasions – a victory and a draw.
The Final Four of the Nations League will be held in early June next year. Let’s remember that Croatia has only participated in it once so far, in the last edition when it played the final. Spain was more successful then and won on penalties.
