Why Croatia Deserves Recognition as the Second-Most Successful World Cup Team of the Past Eight Years

Instead, though, I'd argue that it is Croatia, home to only 3.8 million people, that has punched so far above its weight that it should be considered the second-best-performing World Cup team over the past eight years.

The most successful side of the last two World Cups is France. That's a title that winning the tournament and coming oh-so-close to repeating earns you.

If you picked Argentina, the other winner, I wouldn't push back too hard, especially since the Albiceleste lost to the eventual champions in 2018.