Pressure is building

CROATIA’S population may pale in comparison but superstar Luka Modric declared that they are carrying as much pressure as England to reach the Russia 2018 final.

World Cup stars on either side will be given until the last minute to prove their fitness ahead of the Luzhniki Stadium showdown (4am tomorrow, Qld time), with both teams set to lift the training intensity today after barely getting out of first gear since Sunday.

England boasts a population of 67 million.

Despite a population of 4.1 million, Croatia has qualified for 10 of 12 major tournaments.

It also made the World Cup semi-finals on debut in 1998.