In a compelling first leg of the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal, Croatia defeated France 2-0 at Stadion Poljud in Split on March 20, 2025. Goals from Ante Budimir and Ivan Perisic secured a well-deserved win for the hosts, capitalizing on a lackluster performance from the French side despite the returns of key players Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.

Croatia's early momentum was briefly interrupted when Andrej Kramaric's penalty was saved by French goalkeeper Mike Maignan after Ibrahima Konaté handled the ball in the opening minutes. However, the home side took the lead in the 26th minute. Budimir's powerful header was initially saved but then rolled into the net after a deflection, putting Croatia ahead. Just before halftime, Perisic doubled the advantage with a well-placed volley after a fortunate deflection, sending Croatia into the break with a 2-0 lead.

Despite dominating possession with nearly two-thirds of the ball, France struggled to create quality chances against a disciplined Croatian defense. Dembélé had a promising opportunity to reduce the deficit but hit the side-netting from close range. Substitute Bradley Barcola's glaring miss from just a few yards out summed up France's frustrating evening.

Croatia's coach Zlatko Dalic praised his team's performance: "We were compact and disciplined. We missed the penalty, but we didn’t stop; we stayed strong.” Looking ahead to the second leg in Paris, France coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged the need for improvement, stating, "Our first half was below what we were capable of. We will do everything to turn the situation around."

The second leg promises to be an intense affair as France seeks to overturn the deficit at home, while Croatia aims to maintain their advantage and secure a spot in the semifinals.