Baturina the shining star in a lacklustre Croatia side at World Cup

Croatia are navigating this 2026 World Cup much as they did their last two group matches: by surviving. A 4-2 defeat to England in their opener, followed by a laboured 1-0 win over Panama thanks to substitute Ante Budimir.

It’s a mixed record for a chequered team that, having finished as finalists in 2018 and third in 2022, seemed destined for more than this barren spell. Yet amid this uninspired and drab football, one player shines through: Martin Baturina.

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder from Como, born in Zurich and developed at Dinamo Zagreb, has been the only reason to watch Croatia play since the start of the tournament.

In two matches, he has carried the Vatreni almost single-handedly, with statistics that have caught the eye of every supporter.

Like Maradona

Against Panama, Baturina completed all six of his attempted dribbles - a 100% success rate - while also drawing seven fouls.

The combination of these two stats in a single World Cup match hadn’t been achieved by such a young player since Diego Maradona against Belgium in 1982, when he also completed six dribbles and was fouled eight times.

His full stat line against Panama says it all about a player in top form: 53 touches, 21 successful passes from 25 attempts, 19 ball carries, 58.4 metres of total progression, 15 duels won, two touches in the opposition box, one shot.

And above all, those six dribbles from six attempts, putting him in a very rare category: in 21st-century football, only Angel Di Maria against Bosnia in 2014, Sofiane Feghouli against Germany that same year, and Eden Hazard against Brazil in 2018 had managed more than five dribbles with a 100% success rate in a World Cup match.

Baturina joined this exclusive club in just his second World Cup appearance.

"He’s excellent at dribbling and winning fouls. That’s why he’s in the starting line-up. When he gets the ball, it’s hard to take it off him," summarised Zlatko Dalic, the Croatian coach.

"He covered more than 11 kilometres and was the player who ran the furthest against England, even though he’s not the strongest or most powerful. His runs and sprints were even better against Panama. If he keeps this up, he has a great career ahead of him."

A missile from Baturina

If his performance against Panama confirmed the talent Serie A watchers have noticed since January, it was the match against England that revealed his character.

Making his first World Cup start, Baturina opened his account with a rocket from outside the box that left Jordan Pickford rooted to the spot to make it 1-1 in the 36th minute. 

It was Croatia’s first World Cup goal from outside the box since Luka Modrić’s famous strike against Argentina in 2018.

His stat line against the Three Lions was impressive, even in defeat: 41 touches, 25 successful passes from 32 attempts, one key pass, two dribbles (one successful), five ground duels (four won), four aerial duels (two won).

"We played well in the first half, but maybe we conceded some silly goals. In the end, they deserved to win. We showed we can compete with the best teams, but today we were just a bit off," he said modestly after the match.

"Thanks to Perisic for the cross. I’m happy with the goal, but not happy because we didn’t win."

Modric’s heir?

It didn’t take this goal for comparisons with Luka Modric to start. An attacking midfielder with a low centre of gravity, right-footed, developed at Dinamo Zagreb (though he started at rivals Hajduk Split), Baturina’s early steps in professional football were always accompanied by references to Croatia’s legendary number 10 - just like many before him. But the link between the two seems more obvious in his case.

Since his debut in November 2023 against Latvia, when he came on for Modric, Croatia’s symbolic number 10 shirt seems to be beckoning him. 

Last winter in Milan, he tried to get the legendary 2018 Ballon d’Or winner’s shirt after two matches between Como and AC Milan. Without success.

"I’d like to make an appeal to AC Milan: produce more Modric shirts, everyone wants one!" he joked.

 "We’re friends in the national team. It’s a dream to play against him."

This Modric, now 40 and still at the heart of the Croatian squad, was quick to take under his wing the man already being called his natural successor. 

"They’re talented kids with a great future ahead of them. I hope they bring lots of success and joy to Croatia. Right now, they’re important for us, and with experience they’ll get even better and continue what we’ve built," said the veteran, referring to both Baturina and Petar Sucic.

"I help them in every way I can: behaviour, training, advice… As captain, I’m always there for them."

From Zagreb’s main square to the American World Cup

Sučić, in fact, forms with Baturina a duo that is transforming Croatia’s play at this World Cup. Roommates in the national team since their debuts together, and former teammates at Dinamo Zagreb before their club careers diverged, the two share much more than just a hotel room.

"We’ve played together for two and a half years in the national team and at Dinamo. We’ve been roommates all that time, so we know all of each other’s habits, how we behave and how we prepare," explained Sucic.

"On the pitch, I don’t even need to look at him to know everything, just as he knows everything about me. We work together brilliantly, as we showed against England."

Now, he and Baturina carry the hopes of Croatia’s 3.9 million people on their shoulders. The Vatreni’s World Cup future is on the line this Friday against Ghana, and it will likely require another big performance from the Como midfielder.

Just four years ago, he was watching the 2022 World Cup from Zagreb’s Ban Jelacic Square with friends.

"A lot has changed since then, and I’m happy to be part of the national team. I’d love to win a medal with the squad, it’s a huge honour," he recently told Nova TV.

Croatia need a result against Ghana, and Baturina has already shown he’s up to the task.