Croatia vs Israel

Croatia's 12-0 run to open the game — a pattern they had also used against Israel in the December 2025 meeting (85-71 win) — set the tone. Israel's assistant coach Yoav Shamir had warned before the game that "we know we're facing a very talented team, very physical, with great size," and that size disparity proved decisive from the opening minutes.

When Israel briefly threatened to cut the lead to single digits late in the second quarter, Hezonja responded with a personal 6-0 run, and Croatia carried a commanding lead into the locker room at half-time.

Mario Hezonja (Croatia) — Fresh off his historic triple-double against Cyprus, Hezonja was the engine of Croatia's offence. He finished with a team-high in assists and provided scoring from all three levels. He is now averaging 19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game at home in World Cup Qualifiers, per FIBA data.

Ivica Zubac (Croatia) — The NBA centre's interior presence was the single biggest matchup problem for Israel. He pulled down double-digit rebounds and scored efficiently in the paint, drawing fouls and controlling the glass at both ends.

Yam Madar (Israel) — The point guard, who joined the team in the hours before the game after signing with Maccabi Tel Aviv, was Israel's most effective creator. He kept the offence organised and found gaps in Croatia's defence, but lacked consistent support from the supporting cast.

Dario Šarić (Croatia) — The veteran forward knocked down perimeter shots and used his basketball IQ to find cutting teammates, finishing as one of Croatia's top scorers off the bench.

Croatia entered the game averaging 98 points per game in the tournament (vs Israel's 80.6), and their 103-point output exceeded even that high mark. The 28-point victory margin reflected the gulf in size and physicality that Shamir had identified pre-game: "We'll have to match their physicality, try to get easy points..." — Israel managed neither consistently.

Croatia's 66.1% two-point shooting and 38.7% three-point shooting coming into the match (both tournament averages) were reflected in their efficient offence, while Israel's 54.4% two-point conversion rate dropped under the weight of Croatia's interior defence.

Croatia finish the First Round at the top of Group E with a 5-1 record (10 points), ahead of Germany who also advanced. Both teams, along with Israel, had already qualified for the Second Round before this fixture, but the result determines carry-over standings.

Israel end the First Round at 2-4 (8 points). Their record from the First Round carries into the Second Round, where Group E (Croatia, Germany, Israel) will merge with Group F (Poland, Netherlands, Latvia, Austria).

Croatia's next match in the Second Round is scheduled for 27 August 2026, when they face a team from Group F. Israel's Second Round campaign begins on the same date.

Croatia enter the Second Round as one of the form teams in the European Qualifiers, having won five of six First Round games by an average margin that ranks among the competition's best. Israel, who lost their final two games of the window, will need to regroup quickly if they are to keep their World Cup hopes alive.