Croatia U21 vs Republic of Ireland U21

Croatia U21 and Ireland U21 played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in their friendly on June 6, 2026, with late drama ensuring neither side left with all three points. Croatia made the perfect start, converting a penalty inside the opening ten minutes to go 1-0 up. Ireland hit back quickly, restoring parity at 1-1 before the half-hour mark. The match turned in the visitors' favour in the second half when Ireland struck again in the 75th minute to go ahead 2-1, looking set to claim a memorable away win. Croatia refused to fold, however, and equalised in the 81st minute to earn a share of the spoils. Yellow cards were distributed throughout, keeping tensions high. A resilient point for Ireland, who showed real character to lead against experienced opposition, while Croatia demonstrated their quality in pulling level late — a positive result for both squads ahead of upcoming competitive fixtures.