 The team, under the leadership of captain Luka Modrić and the style of play by key players such as Mario Mandžukić, Ivan Rakitić and Ivan Perišić, reached the 2018 FIFA World Cup final, losing to France 2–4, thus earning the silver medal.From the final onwards, however, their results continued to decline following the retirement of Mandžukić, Danijel Subašić and Vedran Ćorluka.They debuted at the UEFA Nations League with a 6-0 loss to Spain in Elche, and were ultimately relegated from the competition's first tier by England.