UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin
Croatia's journey to the World Cup final is a miracle and reflection of European soccer's efforts to develop the sport across the continent, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said on Saturday.
With a population of 4.2 million in 2016, Croatia is the smallest country capable of reaching the top game since Uruguay in 1950. Ceferin was happy to see small countries get the spotlight on the global stage.
Croatia, who broke through the last four at the 1998 World Cup, faced the French champions that year, in Sunday's final.
"This is definitely a good thing and again proves good work done by European football," Ceferin told Russia Today TV when interviewed.
"For a country of four million people, it's a miracle to get into the World Cup final, they have shown so much heart, so much passion, so much fighting spirit, that I can not say that they can not win on Sunday".
Six of the eight teams of quarter-finals of this year's tournament come from Europe, and Ceferin is not surprised to see the dominance of European countries in Russia.
"UEFA did a good job, not since I was here or because I'm here, but because they approach the development of football a little differently then the gap will get wider and wider," added Ceferin.
"We earn a lot of money with all our competition.We allocate money appropriately We have coaching meetings We work with players who help national associations We work with good management."
"We are investing in infrastructure projects, on the development of the technical sector of football ... We see this is a great way to achieve success and the development of football."
"Now every child in Europe can be seen as one talent and I'm not sure if such a thing exists around the world."