ALL YOU NEED KNOW ABOUT CROATIA AND GHANA HEAD COACHES AT THE 2026 WORLD CUP

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Jun 27, 2026 - 10:25

Jun 27, 2026 - 12:00

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ALL YOU NEED KNOW ABOUT CROATIA AND GHANA HEAD COACHES AT THE 2026 WORLD CUP

By: Isaac Amponsah (Dr Ike)

• The Blazers of Croatia head coach:

• 59-year-old Croatian coach, Zlatko Dalic, was born on October 26, 1966, and is a former player. Dalic was announced as the head coach of the Croatia national football team on October 7, 2017. Zlatko has been the manager of the Croatia national team since 2017.

• As manager, he has led the national team to a second and third place finish at the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, respectively, securing two World Cup medals. He led the team to second place in the 2023 UEFA Nations League and won the 2024 FIFA Series. As the longest-serving head coach of Croatia, he is regarded as the greatest manager in the team's history.

• Zlatko Dalic of Croatia is yet to lose a match day 3 game at the FIFA World Cup:

• 26/06/2018 Iceland 1-2 Croatia (MD3) [2018 World Cup] {1st in Group D}

• 01/12/2022 Croatia 0-0 Belgium (MD3) [2022 World Cup] {2nd in Group F}

• Zlatko Dalic's side has gone past the Group stages of the FIFA World Cup in his previous 2 attempts.

• Ghana is second in the Group with four points, while Croatia's three points place them third ahead of their clash with the Black Stars for the final round game.

• Personal life:

• Zlatko Dalic was born in Livno, then a part of SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, within Yugoslavia, today's Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dalić comes from a Croat family of mother Kata and father Ivan Dalić, through whom he holds Croatian citizenship.

• In 1992, Dalić married his wife, Davorka Propadalo, whom he met at a high school in Livno. They have two sons together, Toni and Bruno. Dalić is a practicing Roman Catholic and prays the Rosary during every match. In 2023, Dalić opened a football team restaurant in the Croatian city of Varaždin, the city where he resides and where he started his career as a coach.

• Black Stars of Ghana head coach:

• 73-year-old Ghana coach, Carlos Manuel Brito Leal de Queiroz, was born on March 1, 1953, and on April 13, 2026, Queiroz was appointed head coach of Ghana ahead of their participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

• On June 23, following Ghana's 0-0 draw with England in their second FIFA World Cup match, Queiroz became the first coach to lead Ghana through the first two World Cup matches without conceding a single goal.

• Black Stars of Ghana are one of only four (4) Nations yet to concede a goal at the ongoing tournament of the 2026 FIFA World Cup:

• Argentina

• Ghana

• Mexico

• Spain

• Should Ghana avoid defeat against Croatia, Carlos Queiroz will become the first coach to guide the team through an unbeaten World Cup Group stage campaign.

• Every foreign coach who has managed the Ghana Black Stars at the FIFA World Cup tournament has guided the team's progress beyond the group stage of the competition:

• Ratomir Dujkovic (Serbia) - Round of 16 in the 2006 edition.

• Milovan Rajevac (Serbia) - Quarter-finals in the 2010 edition.

• • With a game to spare, the foreign coach record of advancing beyond the group stage remains intact now that Ghana are on 4 points and has already qualified for the knock-out stages.

• He has served as the manager of the Portugal national team (2008-2010), the United Arab Emirates (1998-1999), South Africa (2000-2002), Iran (2022), Colombia (2019-2020), Egypt (2021-2022), Qatar (2023), and Oman (2025-26).

• He led South Africa (2002), Portugal (2010), and Iran (2014, 2018, 2022) to the FIFA World Cup, and on April 13, 2026, Ghana appointed him ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

• Carlos Queiroz of Ghana is yet to win a match on Day 3 of the FIFA World Cup (D2 L2 GF2 GA5):

• 25/06/2010 Portugal 0-0 Brazil (MD3) [2010 World Cup]

• 25/06/2014 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 Iran (MD3) [2014 World Cup]

• 25/06/2018 Iran 1-1 Portugal (MD3) [2018 World Cup]

• 29/11/2022 Iran 0-1 USA (MD3) [2022 World Cup]

• Carlos Queiroz's side has conceded in each of their last three editions of match day 3 fixtures in the FIFA World Cup: (Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 Iran in 2014, Iran 1-1 Portugal in 2018, Iran 0-1 USA in 2022) [conceding 5 goals in 3 games].

• Personal life:

• Carlos Queiroz is married to Ana Paula Queiroz, and they are blessed with two children: Rogerio Queiroz and Sandra Queiroz.