"We will win the World Cup!" Croatian president roots for team

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The Croatian president is rooting for her team in the football World Cup final, telling reporters "we will win on Sunday" after arriving at the second day of the NATO summit in Brussels. Croatia faces its biggest sporting moment since becoming an independent nation in 1991, after defeating England 2-1 in the World Cup semifinal on Wednesday.

President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said she couldn't follow the game but was updated on the results during a dinner with officials. Mario Mandzukic scored the clincher in the second half of extra time in the semifinal to secure a spot in Sunday's final against France.

Croatian players celebrate after semifinal victory. /VCG Photo

The Croatians rallied from a goal down for the third game in succession, with Ivan Perisic's equalizing with a 68th-minute volley after Kieran Trippier opened the scoring for England a free kick in the fifth.

Mandzukic latched onto Perisic's header in the 109th minute and rifled it past England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, sparking wild celebrations in the corner.

The Croatians have played extra time in all three of their knockout games, while France has won all three of its knockout games in 90 minutes and had an extra day to rest.

Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic (Rear 4th L) and ministers in the cabinet attend a meeting in soccer team jerseys to mark Croatia National Football Team's success. /VCG Photo

The victory of captain Luka Modric's side is “Croatia's biggest promotion,” said the Prime Minister. It shows “the strength of a country which is not big, but has a big heart ... and these boys who went a step further than the brilliant 1998 with (Miroslav) Ciro Blazevic,” he added.

Plenkovic was referring to Blazevic, the legendary coach with whom Croatia finished third at the World Cup in France twenty years ago.

Croatia's success in the tournament seems to have boosted interest in the country, proud of its more than 1,000 islands and islets.

The national tourist board said its online page views grew by 250 percent compared to the same period last year. “Croatia's passage to the World Cup final is a historic result which has made us the focal point of world attention,” head of the board Kristjan Stanic said in a statement.

“It is an exceptional chance for additional promotional activities.”

The board has made a shortened version of the country's 2018 tourism promotional spot “Croatia Full of Life,” featuring football players including Modric, Mario Mandzukic and Ivan Rakitic. The country of around four million people hosted more than 18 million tourists last year.

(With input from agency)