“I’m so, so excited. Alexandria is so welcoming,” Helena Coric said, folding her hands as tamburitza music drifted from Waterfront Park and a small cluster of people in red-and-white chequered scarves sang along. Coric had come to celebrate that her national team — the Croatia World Cup side — has chosen Alexandria, Virginia, as its base camp for the next few weeks.
The choice turned a quiet stretch of the Potomac into a temporary home for an international squad: the team is staying at an Alexandria hotel and training at a local high school, a schedule arranged in partnership with the Croatian Embassy. Training sessions are closed to the public, but the sight of Croatian flags and a weekend festival called “Flavors & Sounds of Croatia — Alexandria” has already made the presence felt.
At the Waterfront Park event, traditional folk singers and dancers performed while market stalls sold Croatian food and wine. Old House Cosmopolitan, one Alexandria restaurant, has announced it will serve authentic Croatian dishes and wines during the matches, offering a local hub for fans who cannot travel to the tournament sites.
For many in the diaspora, the team’s arrival is both sentimental and practical. Damir Dajaztovic, standing near a table of kulen and burek, summed it up plainly: “A lot of people from Croatia that live here,” he said, pointing to the crowd, “It’s a beautiful city, so why not?” He added, “we have a pretty good team and a pretty good coach. I’m hoping for a very good, successful World Cup.”
The excitement is sharpened by history. Croatia finished second at the 2018 World Cup and third at the 2022 World Cup, achievements that have raised expectations well beyond what the country’s population might predict: Croatia is a nation of barely four million people, yet its supporters expect to push among football’s heavyweights. Marin Gabela, wearing a scarf, distilled that feeling: “We’re a small country with a big heart,” he said. “And we love to be the underdog. We’re not fearful of anyone.”
Supporters bring theater as much as numbers. At the previous World Cup in Qatar, the fan group Uvijek Vjerni — Always Faithful — marshaled roughly 25,000 members and paraded a 200m long national flag through Doha. That same zeal is now visible on the U.S. East Coast, where supporters are expected in Dallas, Toronto and Philadelphia for group-stage matches; Croatia’s first match of the tournament is next week in Dallas against England.
Voices in Alexandria reflect a mix of pride and realism. Ante Kvartuc framed the community’s role in more than sporting terms: “We’re a strong, religious, Catholic country, but we’re not just faithful to God. It’s in our DNA to take care of each other.” Vigo Mavrovic noted the practical limits of travel and expense: “Most of the Croatians attending the World Cup will be wealthy because it’s so expensive but back at home, the support will be strong.” He added a quick tactical read on the squad: “This squad does not contain a star player — they’re all good, rather than great, but I still believe in them.”
Local officials have welcomed the attention; Alexandria’s partnership with the Croatian Embassy covers the coming weeks, and the city has allowed public cultural programming even as team training remains private. That arrangement highlights the open question now pressing residents and fans alike: how will Alexandria manage access, security and fan events while the team prepares for matches elsewhere? The answer matters not only for ticketed fans but for restaurants, park planners and the volunteers who have already staged cultural nights.
As Coric and others clean up after the Waterfront Park performance, the reality of the coming days is clear: Alexandria will be a stage for Croatian culture long after the team flies to Dallas for its first match. The single question left unresolved is whether the city can sustain its welcome without curbing the public access and neighborhood life that made the base camp feel like home in the first place.
