It remains Croatia’s biggest footballing success. At France 1998, their maiden FIFA World Cup™, the Vatreni defied the odds by storming to a third-place finish, beating the Netherlands 2-1 to claim bronze after bowing out in the semi-finals with a narrow defeat to the host nation.

As Robert Prosinecki, Zvonimir Boban and eventual adidas Golden Boot winner Davor Suker gave red-and-white clad fans lasting memories during that French summer, there was a particular child in Zadar who, after watching the action from home, dreamed of one day gracing the World Cup like his heroes. Luka Modric  shares his memories of watching Croatia making history in 1998.

The above footage is part of FIFA’s archive of videos highlighting significant stories in FIFA World Cup history.