Who was dropped from the national team roster, and who is the newly called-up player?

Former Cibona captain Krešimir Radovčić was dropped, and young Lovro Gnjidić, also from Cibona, was called up in his place.

When and where are Croatia's next qualifying matches?

Croatia plays a home match against Latvia in Zadar on August 27, 2026, and three days later travels to face the Netherlands.

Who are the biggest stars on coach Mijatović's roster?

The roster includes NBA players Ivica Zubac, Mario Hezonja, Dario Šarić, and Karlo Matković, as well as other key national team players like Jaleen Smith and Dominik Mavra.

What is the team's preparation plan before the qualifiers?

The team gathers on August 13 in Opatija, then travels to a preparatory tournament in Hamburg on August 20, where they will play against Turkey and either Germany or the Czech Republic from August 21 to 22.

Basketball

Mijatović Makes One Change to the Squad

K.O. · Prije 17h | 2 min

The head coach of the Croatian national basketball team has announced the final expanded roster of 15 players for the crucial qualifiers against Latvia and the Netherlands at the end of August. All the biggest stars are on the list.

Summary

Coach Mijatović made one change to the expanded roster: Radovčić out, Gnjidić in.
The 15-man list includes all the major stars, including Zubac, Hezonja, Šarić, and Matković.
The team is preparing in Opatija and at a tournament in Hamburg before key matches against Latvia (Aug 27) and the Netherlands (Aug 30).

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The Croatian national basketball team continues its qualification campaign for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, and head coach Tomislav Mijatović unveiled the expanded roster he's counting on for the upcoming challenges on Tuesday. Compared to the list released just four days ago, one change has been made.

Former Cibona captain Krešimir Radovčić has been dropped from the squad, with his spot going to young Lovro Gnjidić, also of the Zagreb-based club. Coach Mijatović explained the reasoning behind this decision in a statement from the Croatian Basketball Federation.

A Joint Decision by Coach and Player

"After a conversation with Krešimir Radovčić and a mutual assessment, it was agreed that he would not join the national team for this window," Mijatović said for the CBF. He added that he believes newly called-up Gnjidić will quickly adapt to the demands ahead of the squad.

"We've called up Lovro Gnjidić in his place, and we believe he'll fit in quickly and respond well to the challenges ahead, as he's shown in previous gatherings," the coach stated.

All Stars Together

Despite the one change, Mijatović's 15-man list includes all the key playmakers. The team will be led by NBA stars Ivica Zubac, Mario Hezonja, Dario Šarić, and Karlo Matković. Alongside them, the roster also features Jaleen Smith, Dominik Mavra, Roko Badžim, Antonio Jordan, Mateo Drežnjak, Luka Božić, Toni Nakić, David Škara, Danko Branković, and Krešimir Ljubičić.

The national team will assemble on August 13 in Opatija, which will serve as the initial base for the early part of preparations. After that, on August 20, the squad travels to Hamburg for a strong preparatory tournament.

The Road to the World Cup

Their first test in Hamburg comes on August 21 against Turkey, while the other semifinal pairing features hosts Germany and the Czech Republic. The placement games and final are scheduled for the following day, August 22.

Upon returning from the tournament, the players head to Zadar for final fine-tuning ahead of the crucial qualifiers. Croatia will host Latvia in Zadar on August 27, and three days later will face the Netherlands away in their bid to qualify for the 2027 World Cup.