Anniversary of the biggest street party Croatia has ever seen

ZAGREB, 16 July 2019 – Exactly one year ago today, the biggest street party Croatia has ever seen took place in the capital Zagreb when half a million people took to the streets on 16 July 2018 to celebrate the return of the World Cup runners-up from Russia.

Zagreb’s main square started to fill up with people in red and white checkers waving flags in the early hours of the day whilst the team was still preparing to depart Moscow.

A special Croatia Airlines Airbus 319 flew the team back to Zagreb. 

As the team landed at Dr. Franjo Tuđman Airport at around 3:30 pm local time on the day, a party was in full swing on the main square as a repertoire of popular supporters’ songs were played. 

The team made their way off the plane and airport staff were there to greet them on the runway. 

The open-air buses carrying the team then made its way towards the centre. Fans had lined the streets along the whole route. A trip that would normally take around 35 minutes, took the buses nearly 6 hours as fans packed the streets to get a close up look of their heroes. 

Not even the rain put fans off and when the team finally arrived on the main square in downtown Zagreb the crazy scenes got even crazier as all that could be seen and heard was a sea of flares, flags and chants of songs.

Ivan Rakitic, Zlatko Dalic and a handful of other personalities called on Croatians to celebrate today, 16 July, as a day of unity, pride & joy, and to once again put on their red and white checkers and go out on the streets to unite on the one-year anniversary of the spectacular party.