Croatia Cruises Past Gibraltar to Maintain Grip on World Cup Qualification

VARAŽDIN, Croatia — Croatia dispatched Gibraltar 3-0 on Sunday evening at Stadion Varteks, a clinical performance that kept the Vatreni firmly in control of their World Cup qualifying destiny despite their attack requiring more time than expected to break through.

The victory, built on goals from Toni Fruk, Luka Sučić, and Martin Erlić, lifted Croatia to 13 points from five matches in Group S, level with Czechia but holding a superior goal difference that keeps them atop the standings. For Gibraltar, the defeat extended their winless run in the qualification campaign to five matches, their goal differential now a sobering minus-15.

Yet the scoreline flattered Croatia's dominance. For long stretches, Zlatko Dalić's side struggled to convert territorial superiority into genuine scoring opportunities against a Gibraltar side that arrived in northern Croatia having conceded just two goals in their previous outing against New Caledonia and had frustrated Faroe Islands for 90 minutes just four days earlier.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 30th minute through Fruk, whose finish provided relief for a Croatian attack that had been searching for rhythm. The goal opened the floodgates that many expected, except the floodgates proved stubbornly resistant to opening any further before halftime.

Croatia's frustration manifested most dramatically in the 56th minute when Lovro Majer stepped to the penalty spot after Kian Ronan fouled in the area. Jaylan Hankins, Gibraltar's goalkeeper, dove to his right and turned away Majer's attempt, preserving his side's slim hopes of keeping the deficit manageable. Just seconds later, Franjo Ivanušić's header sailed narrowly wide, another squandered opportunity for the hosts to put the match beyond doubt.

The miss underscored a recurring theme from Croatia's recent qualifying campaign. Just three days earlier, they had been held to a goalless draw in Prague by the Czech Republic, dropping points that could prove costly in the race for automatic qualification. Against Montenegro in September, they had demolished their opponents 4-0, with Kristijan Jakić and Andrej Kramarić finding the net. Against Faroe Islands, Kramarić's solitary goal proved sufficient in a narrow 1-0 victory.

Sunday's performance fell somewhere between those extremes: dominant but lacking the killer instinct that transforms comfortable victories into comprehensive statements.

The second goal finally arrived in the 78th minute when Sučić—who had replaced Nikola Moro in the second half—doubled Croatia's advantage. The cushion seemed to lift the psychological weight from Croatian shoulders. In the 90th minute, Erlić added a third, his late strike providing the scoreline with a veneer of comfort that hadn't existed for most of the evening.

Croatia's starting XI reflected Dalić's attempt to blend experience with youth. Mateo Kovačić anchored the midfield alongside Moro and Marco Pašalić, while Martin Baturina and Majer provided creativity in advanced positions. Yet the bench told its own story: Luka Modrić, the 40-year-old midfield maestro, watched from the sidelines, alongside Joško Gvardiol, Andrej Kramarić, and Ivan Perišić—veterans whose presence serves as both insurance and reminder of the generation that carried Croatia to the 2018 World Cup final and third place in 2022.

For Gibraltar, the result was predictable but not disgraceful. They held Croatia scoreless for half an hour, saved a penalty, and limited the damage to three goals against a side ranked among Europe's elite. Manager Julio Ribas has built a defense-first approach out of necessity, and it nearly produced a first-half stalemate that would have been celebrated as moral victory.

Croatia now looks ahead with qualified optimism. Thirteen points from five matches represents solid progress, but their recent draw against Czechia and Sunday's labored performance suggest vulnerabilities that stronger opponents will exploit. The Czechs, having played two more matches, possess the same point total but an inferior goal difference of plus-four compared to Croatia's plus-16.

Automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup requires finishing atop Group S. Second place means navigating the playoff lottery, where nothing is guaranteed and upsets become routine. Croatia's comfortable goal differential provides cushion, but comfortable cushions have a way of disappearing when teams start calculating permutations rather than simply winning matches.

Gibraltar returns home winless, pointless, and facing the reality that World Cup qualification exists several tiers above their current capabilities. Yet they've competed with professionalism, and Sunday's penalty save provided a moment worth celebrating in a campaign offering few.

For Croatia, three points earned. The manner of earning them, however, leaves questions unanswered.