Your country making their first-ever FIFA World Cup final is cause for celebration no matter how you look at it. But when your country happens to be Croatia, it takes things to another level entirely.
This morning’s World Cup semi final saw the Balkan nation storm home against England, hauling in a one-goal deficit before hammering home the deciding goal deep into extra time.
Initially, however, it was English fans who were going ballistic.
A rocketed free kick goal in the fifth minute saw the entire nation of England heave half the country’s beer supply into the air simultaneously.
England fans in Hyde Park waste about $10,000 in beer on team’s first goal against Croatia pic.twitter.com/lfCxGZfqNW
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 11, 2018
Absolute scenes at @BoxparkCroydon. Beer showers galore as England take the lead. #bbcengland #bbcworldcup #CROENG #croydon pic.twitter.com/naDFrZFJKz
— Thomas Mackintosh (@T_Mackintosh) July 11, 2018
Hold onto your beers… or don’t. 🤷♂️
England fans are HYPE after their strong start vs Croatia. #CROENG pic.twitter.com/JolgLvUsVq
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 11, 2018
After that, however, it was all Croatia’s day.
Folks in Zagreb lost their natural minds after Mario Mandžukić rattled home the go-ahead goal in the 109th minute which punched Croatia’s ticket to the big dance.
How wild were the scenes? We’re talking immediate flares.
IMMEDIATE.
How the fans in Zagreb celebrated the moment Croatia took the lead. 😣 pic.twitter.com/5X4vwUX06u
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) July 11, 2018
The Scene in Zagreb #Croatia as #Cro makes it to #WorldCup Final. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/rDxE4prHl5
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) July 11, 2018
The scene in Zagreb as Croatia’s fans celebrate reaching the #WorldCup final.
Second smallest nation in history to do so and they’re the first nation to win three-straight World Cup games in extra time. Incredible fight. #CRO #ENGCROpic.twitter.com/nFW2qrhiZa
— Joe Prince-Wright (@JPW_NBCSports) July 11, 2018
This is #croatia the #WorldCup18 finalist! 💪🇭🇷 pic.twitter.com/XdhbhZe1vg
— Katarina Brecic (@kbrecic) July 11, 2018
— Alice Jurak✨ (@AliceJurak) July 11, 2018
https://twitter.com/Twitexter/status/1017146241082384384
‘Course some people were still on the job when all this went down, like this Croatian firehouse who immediately leapt into action upon the goal being scored because despite the fact that a fire was not called in they all made the extremely fair assumption that there was going to be a fire somewhere.
https://twitter.com/Divino_2/status/1017154836498874369
And finally, a big shout out to this absolute hero in Ireland stopping what little traffic there is because the love of his home nation is just too dang strong.
You never know where you might find a Croatia fan. Represent. #worldcup #croatia #itsnotcominghome #Donegal pic.twitter.com/ZHB1QKFdrH
— Peter Hanson (@PeterDoingLife) July 11, 2018
That’s the good gear, right there. Safe among friends.
Croatia now faces the mammoth task of taking down France in the World Cup final. If successful, the entire Balkan region is likely to slide off the map into the sea.
And as for England, once again it’s simply not coming home.
Ahh well.
