Croatia vs Montenegro Prediction 08.09.2025 | WC Qualifiers

Renowned for their cautious approach, Croatia stunned with a wave of attacking brilliance in the opening rounds of the World Cup qualifiers, brushing aside Gibraltar 7-0 and then tearing the Czech Republic apart in a resounding 5-1 victory.

Croatia’s September curtain-raiser showed that Luka Modric and co. eased off the accelerator, yet still did just enough to grind out a narrow 1-0 triumph over the Faroe Islands, keeping their perfect record intact and setting their sights on moving a step closer to next year’s finals with victory on Monday.

Such a brilliant start to the World Cup qualifiers comes as a natural continuation of their recent international success, having finished as runners-up in Russia 2018 and claimed bronze in Qatar four years ahead of schedule, making them clear favorites to emerge from the group as winners.

Right-back Ivan Smolcic and young Rijeka midfielder Toni Fruk have received their first international call-ups, with the former already making his debut in the final 10+ minutes of his team’s away match against the Faroe Islands.

Since gaining independence, Montenegro has yet to make an appearance at any major international tournament, with their last involvement at a World Cup dating back to 2006, when they competed under the Serbia and Montenegro banner.

The Robert Prosinecki-coached team took advantage of the easy schedule to start the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in expected style, inflicting a 3-1 demolition on powerless Gibraltar in the opener before seeing off the Faroe Islands with a solitary victory.

However, when faced with tougher opposition, the Brave Falcons immediately faltered, first going down 2-0 to the Czech Republic in June, before suffering an almost identical defeat against the same team on home soil, leaving them three points behind Croatia despite having played an extra match.

Despite falling short in their first September challenge, coach Robert Prosinecki is expected to stick with almost the same XI, believing his players were highly competitive but simply lacked a bit of luck.