TEAMS: Croatia

With the tournament's top scorer Davor Suker, Croatia took the 1998 World Cup by storm, finishing 3rd in what was their first ever appearance in the finals.

Croatia qualified as winners of a tight group ahead of Belgium and Scotland without losing a game. They will need to repeat that form again as a tough group beckons with opponents no less than Italy, Mexico and the unknown quantity of Ecuador, who finished above Brazil in their own Qualifying Group awaiting them at the World Cup.

With veteran star players like Suker, Alen Boksic and Robert Prosinecki, Croatia will have the belief and ability to display the similar standards and gain the same rewards in the Far East as they did from their 1998 adventure.

The Squad

Vladimir Vasilj Position: GK DOB:6/7/75 Club: FC Zagreb	Tomislav Butina Position: GK DOB:30/3/74 Club: Dinamo Zagreb	Stipe Pletikosa Position: GK DOB:8/1/97 Club: Hajduk Split
Anthony Seric Position: DF DOB:15/1/79 Club: Verona	Dario Simic Position: DF DOB:12/11/79 Club: Inter Milan	Josip Simunic Position: DF DOB:18/2/78 Club: Hertha Berlin
Danijel Saric Position: DF DOB:4/8/72 Club: Panathanaikos	Boris Zivkovic Position: DF DOB:15/11/75 Club: Leverkusen	Robert Kovac** Position: DF DOB:6/4/74 Club: Bayern Munich
Robert Jarni** Position: DF DOB:26/10/68 Club: Las Palmas	Robert Prosinecki** Position: MID DOB:12/1/69 Club: Free Agent	Davor Vugrinec Position: MID DOB:24/3/75 Club: Lecce
Jurica Vranjes Position: MID DOB:30/1/80 Club: Leverkusen	Nico Kovac** Position: MID DOB:15/10/75 Club: Bayern Munich	Zvonimir Soldo Position: MID DOB:2/11/67 Club: VFB Stuttgart
Mario Stanic Position: MID DOB:10/4/72 Club: Chelsea	Stjepan Tomas Position: MID DOB:6/3/76 Club:Vicenza	Milan Rapaic Position: MID DOB:16/8/73 Club: Fenerbache
Goran Vlaovic Position: FW DOB:7/8/72 Club: Panathanaikos	Ivica Olic Position: FW DOB:14/9/79 Club: FC Zagreb	Alen Boksic** Position: FW DOB:31/1/70 Club: Middlesbrough
Bosko Balaban Position: FW DOB:15/10/79 Club: Aston Villa	Davor Suker** Position: FW DOB:1/1/68 Club: 1860 Munich

KEY: (GK-Goalkeeper, DF-Defender, MID-Midfield, FW-Forward)
**player to watch