I'm actually convinced that sports wins matter way more for a country like Croatia than most people think. Like, every time one of their teams does well, the whole world suddenly knows where Croatia is, and that kind of attention is gold for business.

I've read some reports say tourism jumps up after big sports events, and businesses tie themselves to that hype—hotels, restaurants, even people selling shirts on the street all make more. Plus, it attracts more investment just because people see Croatia as "hot" or "cool." One of my buddies said his family used to only go to Spain on vacation, but after Croatia made headlines in football, they decided to try somewhere new.

So yeah, even if it seems silly, every time you hear about Croatia beating someone in the World Cup Qualifiers, it means more cash, more jobs, and more chances for businesses to pop up. It's kind of wild how big a deal it is, honestly.