HRVIzak’s YouTube journey from Croatia fan to World Cup voice before Philly match

PHILADELPHIA - Croatian American YouTuber HRVIzak has built a following by covering international soccer, but his love for the sport started with one team: Croatia.

From Croatia fan to YouTube creator

HRVIzak, who goes by Izak, is a U.S.-based YouTube creator known for international soccer videos, World Cup updates, tournament rankings and reactions.

As of today, he has 288,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel that he build from the ground up.

But before the audience, the videos and the World Cup coverage, Izak said Croatia’s national team is what pulled him into the sport.

"I became football obsessed because of the Croatia national team," Izak said. "Like if it weren't for this team, I wouldn't have discovered my love for football."

Before that, Izak said he mostly followed Croatian sports as a whole.

"I didn't know many other players at all, but they were like my gateway into opening that world for me," he said.

Why Croatia means so much to him

Izak said both of his parents are from Croatia and moved to the U.S. from the former Yugoslavia. He was born and raised in the United States, but grew up surrounded by Croatian and Balkan culture.

"I got really immersed in Croatian and Balkan culture because most of our family friends were actually from Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia in our area," Izak said.

He said he still wants to see the U.S. do well, but Croatia hits differently.

"Although I still like to see the US do well, of course, I just haven't had the same heart and desire for them compared to the Croatia national team," he said.

Croatia’s World Cup moment in Philadelphia

Croatia will face Ghana at Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday, June 27, according to the FIFA World Cup schedule.

For Croatian fans in the U.S., the match is more than another group-stage game. It is a chance to see one of the world’s most recognizable national teams play on American soil.

Croatia has become one of the defining World Cup teams of the modern era, reaching the 2018 final and finishing third in 2022. The team’s current squad still includes Luka Modrić, while Joško Gvardiol is among the younger stars helping carry Croatia into its next chapter.

A national team first country

Izak said Croatia’s soccer culture is built around the national team in a way that feels different from countries where club teams dominate the conversation.

"In Croatia, the national team is always number one," he said. "Everyone stops what they're doing for the national team."

That pride, he said, shows up in how Croatia plays.

"You still sense their pride and hard work on the pitch as compared to other teams," Izak said.

Finding his YouTube lane

For Izak, Croatia did not just make him a soccer fan. It also shaped the kind of creator he became.

He said his channel started with FIFA video game content before gradually shifting toward World Cup coverage, qualifiers and international soccer stories.

"I started to realize that there's not like a huge scene in international football," Izak said. "Like people are so focused on clubs. So I started to try to make my content more international football-based."

RELATED: Croatia arrives in Northern Virginia as World Cup excitement builds

That focus has helped him stand out in a soccer media space often dominated by club coverage.

For Izak, international windows and World Cups shape his calendar.

"I mean, I'll stay tuned in, no matter what," he said. "But you know, in the back of my mind when the World Cup's around the corner, I know I'm not making plans with anybody else this month."

He said the last two World Cups helped him settle into the kind of creator he wanted to be.

"The last two World Cups I feel like I kind of found my flow in terms of that," Izak said.

Luka Modrić and the end of an era

Much of Izak’s Croatia fandom has been tied to Modrić, the legendary midfielder who has defined the country’s golden generation.

"I don't know a world of football without him now," Izak said. "And he's always been my favorite player."

With Modrić still part of Croatia’s World Cup story, the 2026 tournament carries a sense of nostalgia for fans who have watched him lead the national team for years.

What's next:

Croatia’s match against Ghana gives Philadelphia fans a chance to see one of international soccer’s most respected teams and one of the sport’s most passionate fan cultures.

For Izak, it is also another chapter in the same story that started his love of the game and helped turn HRVIzak into a YouTube voice for international soccer fans.

Fans can follow Izak’s World Cup coverage on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram at HRVIzak.

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