Luka Modric and his Croatia team-mates were given a rapturous welcome home after their World Cup mission had come up just short.
Zlatko Dalic’s men lost 4-2 to France in an eventful final at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday after key decisions went against them.
But having gone one better than they did in France 20 years earlier, when they finished third, they were greeted as heroes on their return.
The squad flew back to Zagreb on Monday and left their plane to a red carpet welcome before boarding an open-top bus to travel into the city, where thousands of fans had gathered in Ban Jelacic Square to welcome them home.
Such was the size and the warmth of the reaction that midfielder Ivan Rakitic tweeted: “There are no words to describe this. We are proud to defend Croatia colours.”