In the European qualifiers for the World Cup, Croatia staged a crucial comeback in Rijeka to defeat the Faroe Islands 3-1, securing their place in the 2026 World Cup.

After the match, Josko Gwadiol, who scored a goal for the team, said that the team's mission was accomplished as planned: "Our goal was to qualify early with one match left in the qualifiers, and now we have done it. We can proudly say that we have secured our World Cup ticket and are looking forward to the summer."

Gwadiol also pointed out that although the team is no longer under pressure, they will still take the final away game against Montenegro seriously: "We will go there with a relaxed mindset, but we will still aim to get three points. Every game is preparation for the World Cup."

Faroe Islands coach Eydun Klakstein showed sportsmanship by congratulating Croatia on their qualification, saying, "I wish them good luck in the World Cup. They are a small country like us, and we always support teams like them in major tournaments."

Croatia currently leads the Czech Republic by 6 points, and the Czech Republic has already secured at least a place in the playoffs. While the Faroe Islands have exceeded expectations in the group stage, with all matches already completed, even if they defeat Croatia in this game, they would still need the Czech Republic to fail to win at home against Gibraltar to keep their hopes alive; now, their hopes are officially over.