World Cup 2018: Why Croatia Will Win Their First Soccer Championship

History is not on Croatia's side. The last time a country as small as Croatia won a World Cup was in 1950 when Uruguay defeated host nation Brazil. Croatia, a country of a little more than 4 million, has never reached the final of a World Cup or a European Championship in their 26-year history and will be facing heavyweight France on Sunday at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, leaving many to wonder if they can complete their Cinderella story.

Head coach Zlatko Dalic told reporters that the final will produce "a seismic event" in Croatia regardless of the result. While Dalic maintained confidence in his side, it's clear that Croatia have an uphill battle when they take on a deep and star-studded French squad.

France, winners of the 1998 World Cup and a two-time European Champion, boast a talent-rich attack that includes Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and teenage sensation Kylian Mbappé among many others. Didier Deschamps' squad entered the tournament with the fourth-best odds at 6/1 and are coming off an impressive victory over a loaded Belgium sided.

Croatia, on the other hand, had the 11th-best odds at 33/1, and had a comparatively weak road through the knockout stage, while needing penalty kicks to hold off Denmark and an injury-plagued Russia squad before squeaking out a win over England with a goal in the 109th minute.

But Croatia may have a better shot at making history than some might think. This is a roster composed of elite players that suffered through setbacks before the start of the tournament, overcoming some lukewarm results in qualifying to finish with a perfect record in a tough World Cup group and then knocking out the host country despite their loud and rabid fans.

Indeed, there's plenty of reason to not overlook Dalic's side.

Stronger Performance Against The Same Opponent

Croatia and France both played Argentina in the tournament and looked a whole lot better in their win than the French. Lionel Messi and Co. were desperate for a victory after drawing with Iceland in their opening match but the Croats humiliated the two-time champions, 3-0. Argentina managed three goals against France in a seesaw 4-3 battle in the Round of 16.

Fatigue Problems? Not Really

Many are making the argument that Croatia are the less rested team going into the final. But weren't Russia and England the more rested side in their matchup with the Croats? Croatia might be a little more fit for this tournament than some might suspect as this highly experienced roster seem to know how to effectively manage their energy.

Part of the reason might be that the Croats entered the tournament without much wear and tear from their club season. For example, left-back Ivan Strinic played appeared in just 17 matches for mid-tier Sampdoria in Serie A.

Key French players, however, might be feeling a bit of overall fatigue from a more taxing club season.

Underdogs Have Nothing To Lose

In some ways, Croatia may be taking a page out of Greece's improbable title run at Euro 2004. Dalic knows that his roster will feel loose after already exceeding expectations. They haven't panicked thus far, and it's hard to foresee them playing hastily against France.

It also helps that this unit have proven they can keep their cool with just six total yellow cards and no red cards in their three 120-minute matches.

The pressure is on France, who are the favorites at -113, more than it is on Croatia, who are +400 underdogs.

Strong Tactics

Croatia seem to outsmart and out-hustle their opponents. Dalic has vacillated between a 4-1-4-1 and a 4-2-3-1, but it's mostly been a spontaneously aggressive attack that looks like a 4-3-3. Croatia seemed to throw off England in the later stages of the match, pressing the English defense further up than in the first half.

The Croat defense from the start of the tournament has also looked more organized than their opponents, allowing just six goals in six matches, with one a penalty to Iceland in group play. Deschamps might be wondering how any opponent has scored on them.

Keep It Simple, Stupid

Croatia rarely deviate from the script. The plan is often straightforward: allow the playmakers to work their magic. It makes sense since Croatia have one of the best in business in savvy Luka Modric, who honed his craft with Tottenham and Real Madrid. While many countries wait for the perfect goal, Croatia are often brilliant at simply applying increased pressure on their opponents' net before inevitably finding a breakthrough goal. Striker Mario Mandzukic tends to wisely one-touch the ball rather than overusing crossovers.

Dalic has also mostly relied on his same rotation of players, as he did against England when he waited until the 95th minute to make his first substitution. By avoiding early substitutions and not tinkering too much to the lineup, Croatia often look more cohesive than their opponents.