Hosts Russia were knocked out of the competition, as Croatia beat them 4-3 on penalties in Sochi on Sunday morning (AEST) to advance to the World Cup semi-finals.

“We are a great nation and have great players. I saw it in their eyes – they are well-prepared," Suker said.

"I am sure that a lot of favourites were eliminated from the tournament because of poor preparation.

"Why had Brazil, Germany, Spain left? Because you have to suffer in order to succeed. This is a FIFA World Cup, not a competition of who scores more."

He added that Croatia’s next opponent England had evolved a lot in the past few years and they were “hungry for a win”, which is a good quality when on the pitch.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 and will continue until July 15, with the final set to be held at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.