The Croatian national team has become a fixture at recent World Cups, having qualified for six of Troy Apke Jersey the last seven tournaments, including Qatar 2022.They were also the fairytale story of the last World Cup in Ru sia, as they strung together a surprise run all the way to the final. Although they were eventually defeated by France, it was a heroic effort and one that cemented their status as part of the international football elite.Their fans have also provided an interesting backdrop to their games in Qatar, both due to their pa sionate support but also the sea of red and white that they wear in the stands.Not only is it eye-catching, but the checkered pattern of the Croatian jerseys is a unique one not seen often, if at all, in world football. Deshazor Everett Jersey What is the story behind this Croatian jersey?MORE: The inspiration for the checkerboard design on the Croatian jerseys is derived from the country's coat of arms, which features a shield with a red and white checkerboard design in the background.That design itself has been present in many iterations of the coat of arms and other national symbols of Croatia since the 15th Century. Even when Croatia was part of Yugoslavia for much of the 20th Century, its coat of arms still featured the red and white checkerboard.It is a symbol that has been used to represent Croatia for centuries, so when the country officially became independent in 1991, Miroslav Sutej the man who designed the nation's flag and coat of arms decided to make it a key part of the independent Croatia's identity. Thus, it was also incorporated by the national team in their jersey and as part of their badge.Other Croatian sports teams have since modelled themselves on the nation's football team, making it a truly universal symbol of Croatia. The Croatian away kit still incorporates the checkered design, though usually on a much smaller scale, such as in the DeAndre Carter Jersey trim or in the collar.For many years, the away kit for the Croatian side was mostly royal blue, however in recent years the country's kit-makers have opted to use a darker navy design.This was seen in the 2018 World Cup, where they wore a dark navy kit but still with a feint checkered outline.Croatia donned their traditional 'home' kit in all but two games in their run to the final, meaning their famous victories against Argentina and England did not happen in the famous red and white jersey.The home jersey returned in the final, where France ultimately defeated them 4-2. Croatia reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in 20 years UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) Croatia first Sam Howell Jersey competed at the World Cup as an independent nation in the 1998 World Cup in France.Led by talisman Davor Suker, they completed a phenomenal run to the semifinals, where they eventually secured a third-place finish.They struggled to top that in subsequent tournaments, failing to get out of the group stage in the 2002, 2006 and 2014 World Cups, while they failed to qualify at all in 2010.But, led by the likes of an agele s Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic, they almost went all the way in 2018, and are now in the third-place playoff of the 2022 World Cup after defeating Curtis Samuel Jersey Japan and Brazil on penalties in the knockout stages, before falling short against Argentina in the semifinal. Related Articles