What is the secret of the so-called miracle of Croatia at the World Cup?

The road was small with bumps and dust. There were no lights, no rooms with a key, and there was barely any grass.

But the little blond kid from Zadar had a bad ball and a dream. He had a trade on Davor Suker.

Maybe, if he was in a club with an academy, with three trainers, with new shoes playing green and a five-star room, little Luka Modric wouldn't have the fame he has today, “Goal.com” broadcast Periscope.

But there's something about it. Many Croatian team players shine in other areas as well. The sport was in their blood. If you ever see Ivan Perisic play volleyball or basketball, you'll know what we're talking about: pure talent.

“The sport is in our blood”, Niko Kovac says. “Croatias love competition, to be better than others”

“Since our economy has not been strong, sports is the only way to make money, to make ourselves a little happy”, he added.

“The facility here is not compared to that of Germany, but the school sport is very important in Croatia. They are football players, basketball players and football players who play on every playing field and every school yard of”.

Then for Croatian sports is a large part of Croatian history and identity. A feeling that they would be more proud of the gold medal in water polo than a Nobel Prize winner in physics.

“We are very passionate, emotional people, with great patriotic feelings”, Kovac said.

The sense of Croatian patriotism is quite high, and this is shown when the country has just emerged from a terrible war, they will touch the semifinals of 1998, ranking as the third best team in the world.

This little blond kid with the Suker fan is the leader of a nation and he will do everything he needs on Sunday to finally understand his childhood dream.. /Periscopi/