For Zlatko Dalic and Croatia, Russia 2018 will always represent a magical, golden summer.

But as the dust settled on that FIFA World Cup™, and their historic, unprecedented run to the Final, a question hung ominously in the air. ‘Where do we go from here?’ The fear, inevitably, was that the only way was down.

For the likes of Mario Mandzukic and Danijel Subasic, their talismanic striker and penalty-stopping keeper, the temptation to go out on a high proved irresistible. And amid those retirements, and interest from clubs abroad, Dalic himself faced the same quandary. “I understood,” he told FIFA.com, “that things couldn’t get any better.”

Ultimately though, a sense of duty – and gratitude for his privileged position – led to the Croatia coach staying on. Dalic has since dedicated himself to reshaping and refreshing a side that, despite the inevitable post-World Cup “comedown”, recovered to qualify for UEFA EURO 2020 by topping their section.

With that tournament looming on the horizon, we spoke to Dalic about the challenges he has faced, the ways in which his life has changed and the reasons he stayed on.

It is quite difficult to offer Pia Sundhage a fresh experience. The two-time gold medal-winning coach, who played in the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup™, has enjoyed a long and storied career both on and off the pitch. But although that journey has taken her across her native Europe, to North America and Asia, she now she faces a totally new challenge, as coach of the Brazilian women’s national team.

With a host of stars at her disposal, including veterans Marta and Formiga, Sundhage is looking to this year's Women’s Olympic Football Tournament for her own third gold medal, and the country’s first in women’s football. FIFA.com sat down with the Swede to discuss the romanticism of Brazilian football, living in Rio, working with Marta, and her plans for Tokyo 2020.

Saki Kumagai is a player familiar with collecting trophies.

As a 20-year-old she helped Japan win their first FIFA Women's World Cup title at Germany 2011 before finishing as the runners-up four years later at Canada 2015. After being handed the captain's armband in 2017, she skippered Nadeshiko to be crowned champions at the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup.

Most recently, she was crowned as the 2019 AFC Women's Player of the Year. Having dominated at club level, perhaps the only title which remains elusive for her is an Olympic gold medal.

She figured prominently as Japan stormed to the final at London 2012 only to be edged out by United States. And they even failed to qualify for Rio 2016, a disappointment which has further sharpened her appetite for redemption.

FIFA.com recently caught up with the 29-year-old, whose sole aim for Tokyo 2020 is to capture the gold.