"We were very sad about the loss to England, but we believe our team will do much better in the next matches," said Laura Martin del Campo Steta, Croatia’s honorary consul in Mexico City. The Croatian-Mexican Association there is organising public viewing events.
The Croatian community in Punta Arenas, a port city in southern Chile, followed Croatia’s 4-2 defeat to England with strong interest.
Members gathered at the Croatian House in the centre of the city where their ancestors arrived on sailing ships in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in search of work. Wearing Croatia shirts, they watched the match on a large screen.
Despite the result, they remained optimistic and announced further gatherings. "We are confident Croatia will soon return to winning ways," they said ahead of matches against Panama and Ghana.
Argentine sports journalist of Croatian descent Federico Jelic, who is covering the World Cup in the United States, said Croatia’s matches hold special meaning for him as they combine his professional work with his family ties to his ancestral homeland.
"I grew up hearing about Croatia when it was part of Yugoslavia," he told the CroLatam portal. "My grandfather always said he was Croatian and often wore the Croatian coat of arms."
This is the fourth World Cup he has covered as a journalist for Argentine media. He said the 2018 tournament in Russia, where Croatia reached the final, remains particularly memorable.
"I was able to enjoy Croatia’s success almost as if it were my own," he said.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Argentina and Croatia met in the semi-finals. "My heart was somewhat divided, but I supported Argentina," he said, adding that Croatia’s victory over Morocco in the third-place match moved him as it reminded him of his late father.
He did not rule out another major clash between his two favourite teams. "Why not dream of a final between Argentina and Croatia?" he said.