Croatia becomes second smallest nation to sail to World Cup finals since 1950

Croatia becomes second smallest nation to sail to World Cup finals since 1950

- Croatia beat England 2-1 to book a spot in the Russia 2018 World Cup finals

- The East European nation will become the second smallest country to qualify

- They also the lowest ranked team in history to reach the World Cup finals

Against all odds, the 2018 World Cup has turned out to be an absolute cracker with Croatia set to battle France in the finals of the tournament on Sunday, July 15, in Moscow.

Apart from being one of the lowest ranked nation in history to reach the last stage of the global football competition, Croatia has also become the smallest nation in the finals since Uruguay in 1950.

The nation stormed into the finals after defeating England 2-1 after extra time to book a spot in the finals, with Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic scoring a goal apiece.

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This is a stunning achievement for Croatia, not only because of the results they needed to get there, but because they were able to do so being a country that is pretty small both in size and population.

According to the most recent census, the country has just over 4 million people who live there, making them one of the smallest nation to ever compete in a World Cup final after Uruguay in 1950.

The modest nation now has the chance of taking revenge on France after losing 2-1 in Paris when the two nations met in the semi-finals during the 1998 World Cup.

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Before booking a place in the finals, the Balkan nation stunned 2014 World Cup finalists Argentina, Nigeria and Iceland in the group stages before putting up impressive performances in the knockout stages.

Apart from football, the country which officially became a republic 27 years ago is also known for a lot of other things.

The country is home to the world's smallest town known as "Hum," which reportedly has an estimated population of between 17 to 23 people.

However, with just three days before the finals, Croatia will be looking to put up a brave face when they battle one of Europe's most talented side in the mundial.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that Croatia defeated England by 2-1 in the semi finals at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

Kieran Trippier scored from a set piece in the fifth minute while Ivan Perisic drew Croatia level in the 67th minute.

Mario Mandzukic scored the winner in the second half of extra time after sloppy defending from the young English defenders.

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Source: Legit.ng

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