Slaven Bilic has returned to coach the Croatian national football team, succeeding Zlatko Dalic who resigned last week after being eliminated from the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup by Portugal, the local football association announced on Monday.

Bilic's last coaching position was with Al-Fateh club during the 2023-2024 season.

The former defender, who previously held the position between 2006 and 2012, will replace the most successful coach in the national team's history, who finished as runners-up in the 2018 World Cup under Dalic and then took third place in the previous edition in 2022.

Croatia failed to repeat the achievements of 2018 and 2022 by exiting in the Round of 32 of the current edition held in North America, after falling 1-2 to Portugal in an exciting match that saw three of their goals disallowed for offside.

The Croatian Football Federation said in a post on X that 'based on the proposal of Federation President Marijan Kustić, the Executive Committee unanimously appointed Slaven Bilić as coach of the Croatian national team.'

During his previous stint with the national team, Bilić (57 years old) achieved a higher win percentage than Dalić, recording 42 wins, 15 draws, and 8 losses in 65 matches, compared to his predecessor's 57 wins, 26 draws, and 28 losses in 111 matches.

But his best achievement with the team was reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2008, before losing to Turkey on penalties.

Bilić played 44 international matches for Croatia, and also coached several clubs, including English side West Ham United, where he played in the mid-1990s, as well as his last two compatriots West Bromwich Albion and Watford, in addition to Russian Lokomotiv Moscow, Turkish Beşiktaş, and Saudi Al-Ittihad.

Dalic oversaw the national team since 2017 and also reached the Round of 16 of Euro 2020 with them.

Bilic's first assignment will be in September and October in the UEFA Nations League, where Croatia will face the Czech Republic, Spain (twice), and England in Group 3 of League A.