It’s been eight years, and Ivan Njegovan can still hear the sirens.
Njegovan was with his family in his hometown of Otocac, Croatia, during the summer of 2018, huddled around the television watching Croatia battle France in the World Cup final. Croatia fell 4-2, but only a few minutes passed before the noise picked up.
“We were so sad, but after 5-10 minutes, you hear all the sirens of, like, fire trucks,” Njegovan said. “There was a whole parade around the town. It was crazy.”
For a country fiercely proud of its soccer team, the run to the final had been exhilarating even if the final result wasn’t what Njegovan’s countrymen had hoped for.
Now he’s getting to enjoy the experience of World Cup soccer in person. Alongside Ohio State teammate and fellow Croatian center Andrija Jelavic, he was in the stands to see his home country take down Ghana in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, solidifying its spot in the knockout round.
Njegovan was with his family in his hometown of Otocac, Croatia, during the summer of 2018, huddled around the television watching Croatia battle France in the World Cup final. Croatia fell 4-2, but only a few minutes passed before the noise picked up.
“We were so sad, but after 5-10 minutes, you hear all the sirens of, like, fire trucks,” Njegovan said. “There was a whole parade around the town. It was crazy.”
For a country fiercely proud of its soccer team, the run to the final had been exhilarating even if the final result wasn’t what Njegovan’s countrymen had hoped for.
Now he’s getting to enjoy the experience of World Cup soccer in person. Alongside Ohio State teammate and fellow Croatian center Andrija Jelavic, he was in the stands to see his home country take down Ghana in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, solidifying its spot in the knockout round.
4 months ago
