Croatian-Canadians look forward to World Cup final with pride
TORONTO — Canadians of Croatian descent are eagerly anticipating the World Cup final that will see Croatia go up against France, saying the game will mark a moment of immense pride for fans of the team.
The match on Sunday will be the first time Croatia plays in the tournament’s final, and comes after it beat out England earlier this week.
“Soccer for Croatians is like hockey for Canadians,” said Ivan Kulis, who works at the Toronto Croatia Academy and goes back to Croatia often. “For a small country like Croatia, with 4.2 million people, (the final) means much more than a soccer game.”
A win in the final would mark an immense victory for the country that broke away from Yugoslavia to become an independent state in 1991 — a year after its national soccer team started playing.