FC Bayern will once again provide numerous international players for the upcoming World Cup and now the next Munich player, Josip Stanisic, has been officially nominated for the tournament in North America
The Croatian Football Association published its final World Cup squad on Monday – and as expected, Bayern defender Josip Stanisic is also in the squad
The 26-year-old will therefore travel directly to the national team after the DFB Cup final against VfB Stuttgart to prepare for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico
Stanisic an important part of the Croatian defense
Stanisic has long been a permanent fixture in Croatia’s defensive unit. Since making his debut in 2021, the versatile defender has already made 29 international appearances for the 2018 World Cup runners-up
Above all, his versatility makes him enormously valuable both at FC Bayern and in the national team
Stanisic can easily be deployed as a right-back, central defender or on the left side of defense
The Croatians are once again traveling to the World Cup with a prominent squad, including Luka Modric, Josko Gvardiol, Ivan Perisic and Bundesliga striker Andrej Kramaric
This once again makes Croatia one of the tournament’s unpleasant underdogs
Special duel with Kane possible
Particularly interesting from Bayern’s point of view: Croatia will face England, among others, in the group stage, which could lead to a direct clash between Stanisic and his Munich team-mate Harry Kane
The clash between the two nations will take place on the first day of group play, with Ghana and Panama completing the group
Stanisic also played an important role at FC Bayern last season, with the defensive all-rounder making 42 competitive appearances across all competitions
Under Vincent Kompany in particular, Stanisic once again benefited from his flexibility
The Belgian repeatedly rotated the defender between several positions – often as a solution on the right side of defense
With his consistent performances, Stanisic has not only firmly established himself at FC Bayern, but also in the Croatian national team.