Croatia’s Masterclass: Dominant 4-0 Victory Over Montenegro Secures Group L Leadership

Impressive Display at Maksimir Stadium

Croatia demonstrated their superiority at Zagreb’s Maksimir Stadium with a commanding 4-0 victory over Montenegro in their FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers match on Tuesday, September 9.

Match Highlights and Key Moments

The match saw Croatia score through Kristijan Jakic (35′), Andrej Kramaric (51′), and Ivan Perisic (90+2′), with an additional own goal from Edvin Kuc (85′). The task became more challenging for Montenegro after Andrija Bulatovic’s ejection in the 42nd minute.

The victory was particularly significant as it allowed Croatia to remain undefeated and climb to the top of their qualifying group. The result has positioned Croatia firmly at the summit of Group L with four consecutive victories, while Montenegro now stands fourth in the five-team standings with six points from five games.

Qualification Context and Future Implications

This match was part of UEFA Group L in the World Cup qualification tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The group consists of five teams: Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Faroe Islands, Gibraltar and Montenegro.

The teams will continue to compete in a home-and-away round-robin format through November 2025. The group winner will secure direct qualification for the World Cup finals, while the runner-up will advance to the second round (play-offs).