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Argentina and Croatia face each other in a few hours in a match that is vital for the albiceleste's survival at the Russia 2018 World Cup. For the Croatians, three points would put them into the knockout rounds with a strong chance of topping the group. What's more, Argentina and Croatia haven't met in official competition for a long time — not since the 1998 World Cup in France.
Croatia arrived at that World Cup off the back of a remarkable transformation. Their federation dates back to 1912, but the nation was absorbed into Yugoslavia in 1946 and it wasn't until the end of the Cold War that it became an independent country. The shift was so dramatic that on 16th May 1991, Yugoslavia played their last match as a national side — against Sweden — with a largely Croatian squad on the pitch, and on 25th June of that same year Croatia declared independence.
Years of administrative and sporting groundwork followed before FIFA recognised Croatia in 1992. In 1994 they entered qualifying for their first European Championship (England 1996), opening with a 2–0 win over Estonia and finishing top of their group — leaving a powerhouse like Italy in second place and making a huge impression on thousands of football fans around the world with the team Miroslav Blažević was building.
At Euro 1996, Croatia performed well, reaching the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Germany, who went on to win the tournament. Two years later Croatia played their first ever World Cup in France — a tournament they had to reach via the play-offs, eliminating Ukraine 3–1. It was the first World Cup to feature 32 teams, and Blažević's side found themselves in Group H alongside Japan, Jamaica and Argentina.
The Croatia squad at France '98
Argentina had steamrollered through qualifying with thirty points. Pasarella's men arrived in Paris desperate to erase the memory of their last-16 exit four years earlier in the United States against Romania (3–2) — a tournament where the albiceleste had been seeking to avenge their 1–0 final defeat to Germany at Italia '90. Yet the shadow of Diego Maradona's failed drugs test after the Greece match at USA '94 still hung over the squad.
The Argentina squad at France '98
The final group-stage match pitted these two very different sides against each other. Argentina brought experience and pedigree; Croatia brought enthusiasm and innovation. Both had already beaten Japan and Jamaica in a group where Croatia had been written off as Cinderellas — a mistake everyone came to regret. Šuker's side beat Japan 3–1 and Jamaica 1–0, while Argentina put five past the Jamaicans and edged Japan 1–0.
With the mathematics clear, both sides went into the match knowing they were already through and competing for top spot. The Parc Lescure in Bordeaux hosted a historic occasion for Croatia. Coincidentally — or perhaps it was fate — the match was played on 26th June 1998, seven years and one day after Croatian independence.
The result was 1–0 to Argentina, thanks to a Pineda goal on 36 minutes. Argentina went through as group winners; Croatia made history by reaching a World Cup knockout stage for the very first time.
Despite being given little chance, the Croats stormed into the semi-finals — beating Romania 1–0 with a Šuker goal, then comprehensively defeating Germany 3–0 for sweet revenge. Their next obstacle was hosts France, against whom they took the lead through another Šuker strike — the tournament's top scorer — but a Lilian Thuram brace in the second half sent Blažević's side home. Croatia did, however, claim the bronze medal with a 2–1 win over Holland, finishing third in what remains their finest World Cup performance. It was Holland, incidentally, who had eliminated Argentina in the quarter-finals after Passarella's men beat England on penalties before losing 2–1 to the Clockwork Orange.
Davor Šuker finished as the tournament's top scorer with six goals
That last Argentina–Croatia encounter left a rich legacy. In a few hours we'll see how Modrić, Rakitić and company measure up against a Messi-led Argentina that hasn't quite clicked into gear yet.
Written by David Pineros
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