Friday’s FIFA World Cup quarter-final wasn’t the first time Josip Juranovic had faced Vinicius Jr.
In September, the brilliant Brazilian emerged on top, slipping away from Celtic’s Croatian right-back to score and set up a Real Madrid win in the UEFA Champions League. Then, when the two met again in the same competition early last month, the same happened: Vinicius scored, while the man marking him left the field with head bowed.
But while Selecao fans might have been confident, with their star winger in dazzling form, of that pattern being continued at Lusail Stadium, Juranovic had other ideas. This time, it was the Croatian who seized the upper hand in the pair’s personal duel, not merely subduing Vinicius but embarking on a series of buccaneering forward runs that forced the Brazilian back into unfamiliar territory in his own half.
Juranovic’s reward for that much-praised performance in Croatia’s battling last-eight triumph is a showdown with Argentina and, arguably, the greatest player of all time. And what’s clear is that Lionel Messi and Co hold no fears for a team that has proven, at this World Cup and the last, that no-one can match them for spirit and staying power.
The defender discussed Croatia’s character and the significance of their success in this interview with FIFA.

Josip, another historical chapter in Croatian football has been written here in Qatar. Do you realise what you have accomplished?
Josip Juranovic: I can only speak for myself, but it still hasn’t fully sunk in. When my parents send me videos from mine and Bruno (Petkovic’s) home town, Dubrava, it immediately warms my heart. But I think we’ll only understand what we have done for our country and people once we arrive back in Croatia.

Your team showed a lot of character again in the match against Brazil. What exactly is it that makes the team be able to come back, turn around and win against the biggest opponents?
I don’t know but I am motivated by the fact that, despite being a small country, we have a lot of heart. We will give every ounce of strength we have from the first minute to the last. There is simply no giving up for us. We play for one another. We showed that during our match against Brazil. We simply did everything within our power to win and we earned that.

You played the match of your life against the Brazilians. The entire world is now talking about you.
Thank you for that. Again, I wouldn’t put only myself in the spotlight. I can also thank (Mario) Pasalic and Bruno Petkovic for scoring that goal, and guys like (Marcelo) Brozovic and (Luka) Modric. I can sum up the entire team that way. We simply played very well as a team. We defended very well when they had the ball and we played the way we know how to. That is why the entire team deserve this.

An unbelievably tough match now awaits you.
Well, this is the World Cup. All the matches are tough. We can see that Morocco, another team from our pool, also deserved to reach the semi-finals. That’s why every match we get is another new competition. We want to give everything we have again and make our people happy again.

One more question, regarding the FIFA+ documentary Defining a Nation (1998). It follows the generation of players that emerged from that tough, wartime period. Does that maybe serve as additional motivation for you to go until the end here?
Well, those players are the ones who have shown us what it means to fight for our Croatia. We simply represent them here. I think that we also want to achieve something that will make us be remembered like they are. That is why we simply can’t wait for that match against Argentina.
(www.fifa.com)