Croatia penalty taker

Luka Modric is our current Croatia penalty taker call, with Andrej Kramaric next in line if the order changes.

Luka Modric should now be treated as a high-confidence Croatia primary, with one important caveat: at his age, availability and minutes still matter. The deeper Croatia picture is a dual-taker system rather than a contradiction. Andrej Kramaric has taken routine competitive penalties when Modric was off or when the order was delegated, but Modric remains the designated first-choice for the biggest moments. The Dalic quote already pointed that way, and the Nations League evidence backs it up: Modric took the decisive extra-time penalty against the Netherlands, while Kramaric remains the clearest secondary when the captain is not the taker on the pitch.

If you searched for Croatia penalty taker, the hierarchy at the top is the quickest answer we are willing to publish right now. The evidence trail underneath shows why that order makes the cut.

For World Cup 2026, Luka Modric is the current first-choice call for Croatia, with Andrej Kramaric the closest backup if the tournament order shifts.

A fresh in-match penalty can move this page quickly, especially if it contradicts the current lead or happens with the full-strength tournament pool on the pitch.

For the more conditional boards, one more clean senior penalty is often enough to sharpen the backup line or flip the order outright.

Spot a hierarchy shift, a squad-specific wrinkle or a better local source? Contact us here. If you are close to the Croatia setup and have stronger information, that is exactly the kind of update we want.