Croatia vs Colombia
Croatia and Colombia will play several exhibition matches this international break to maintain their sharpness. These two teams will convene at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday for one of their International Friendly matches.
Croatia secured their World Cup berth by going undefeated (W7, D1) and taking the top spot in Group L. Zlatko Dalic’s side is also in Group L in the showpiece event, bunched alongside England, Ghana, and Panama.
Colombia also secured their World Cup berth by finishing third in the CONMEBOL qualifiers table, behind only Argentina and Ecuador. Nestor Lorenzo’s men are in Group K, alongside Portugal, Uzbekistan, and the Path 1 winner of the inter-confederation play-offs.
SBOTOP football fans are in for a treat, as Croatia and Colombia are likely to create new International Friendly 2026 highlights. But more than getting the win, it’s about experimenting and building chemistry between these two teams.
Talking Points
Croatia to miss several key players
Croatia could be in for a long night against Colombia, as the Vatreni will miss two of their cornerstone players this Thursday. Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic are not in the squad for this international break, with the former being a long-term absentee due to a serious leg injury.
Luka Modric remains the team’s top creative outlet, and the evergreen midfielder should have Mario Pasalic and Nikola Vlasic with him in the middle. Duje Caleta-Car, Josip Sutalo, Josip Stanisic, and Marin Pongracic will be tasked with guarding the backline, providing cover for goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, with Dominik Kotarski and Ivor Pandur as his backups.
Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric, and Ante Budimir bring a ton of experience to Croatia’s attack, as they’ve combined for 70 goals in 297 caps. Igor Matanovic is a relatively fresh face for the Vatreni, and the SC Freiburg forward could make a start this international break, as he has scored three times in the space of four days for his mother club last week, ending his four-game goal drought.
Colombia have potential in the final third
Croatia’s rearguard has reasons to worry, as Colombia have picked up steam in the final third, with Luis Diaz and Luis Javier Suarez leading the way. Diaz is among the most productive forwards in Europe’s Top 5 leagues this season, with 15 league goals and 11 assists for Bayern Munich, while Suarez is Sporting’s leading scorer, with 24 league goals and four assists.
Colombia have also called up James Rodriguez, the country’s second-leading scorer and second-most capped player (31 goals, 122 caps). Despite having very little match time, as he only debuted with Minnesota United a few weeks ago, Rodriguez’s fitness could be a concern. But head coach Nestor Lorenzo might see otherwise.
Juan Cabal’s return to the national team also helps Colombia. The 25-year-old full-back has been one of Juventus’ most important players this season.
History
Thursday marks the first-ever competitive meeting between Croatia and Colombia, and both nations are keen to extend their long unbeaten runs.
Croatia are unbeaten in their last eight international matches (W7, D1), though most of their opponents during that stretch were not particularly strong, except for the Czech Republic, currently ranked 31st by FIFA. Zlatko Dalic’s men have been slightly more porous at the back recently, having conceded three goals across their last two matches, more than in their six previous matches combined.
Colombia are also unbeaten in their last nine international matches (W5, D4) since their 2-1 loss to Brazil last March. Los Cafeteros have scored at least three goals in four of those five wins. Seven of their last eight goals were scored after halftime. They’ve won their last three games against European sides (Romania, Spain, and Germany).
Betting Tip
The International Friendly 2026 odds predict a close match between Croatia and Colombia. Colombia have the slight advantage at 2.09 odds, whereas Croatia aren’t far behind at 2.97, and a draw is at 3.06 in the 1X2 market.
As noted, fans in Orlando can expect goals from both sides in this exhibition match, with Colombia likely to score more due to their revamped attack. Besides rooting for a Los Cafeteros victory, punters may also add Over 2.25 at 1.75, Over 2.50 at 2.00, and Total Goal 2-3 at 1.97 to the parlay. On the other hand, a low-scoring affair, such as a goalless draw, could yield a tidy payday of 9.60 your bet. And any Correct Score favouring Croatia also offers payouts of at least 9.00.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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