Ivan Rakitic Reveals He Still Can't Watch Croatia's 2018 World Cup Final Loss to France

Ivan Rakitic has confessed that he still cannot bring himself to watch any footage from Croatia's 2018 World Cup final defeat against France. The former midfield star said the heartbreak remains too fresh, even years later.

Reflecting on a Historic Run

The 2018 final saw Croatia lose 4-2 to France at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Rakitic played the entire match and was key in the team’s historic journey, which featured three knockout-stage comebacks and marked Croatia’s first-ever appearance in a World Cup final. Despite their valiant effort, the loss left a lasting wound for him.

Rakitic Shares His Thoughts

Speaking at a promotional event in Seville before Croatia’s UEFA Nations League match against Spain, the former Sevilla captain admitted, as quoted by MARCA, "It was tough. To this day, I haven’t watched a single clip of that final, and if you played it now, I’d turn away."

Pride Amid Disappointment

Even with the sting of defeat, Rakitic highlighted the pride felt by the Croatian team for their achievements. He noted that for a nation with fewer than four million people, reaching the World Cup final was remarkable.

"Ten minutes after losing it, we felt immense pride because Croatia isn’t Spain; it’s very small, with a population not even reaching four million, but we achieved something special: we even won over the hearts and respect of so many people in France," he said.

He added that messages came from all around the globe congratulating them, though he would have preferred to lift the trophy himself.

Croatia Looks Ahead to Spain Clash

Now, Croatia prepares to face Spain at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium in their upcoming UEFA Nations League Group A3 match. Managed by Slaven Bilic, the Vatreni aim for a win to move ahead of La Roja in the group standings after edging Czechia 2-1 in their opening game.

• Upcoming Matches:
• Belgium vs France: 28 Sept 2026, 21:45 (UEFA Nations League A)
• Spain vs Croatia: 29 Sept 2026, 21:45 (UEFA Nations League A)