Hosts Russia were eliminated from the tournament, as Croatia beat them on penalties in Sochi on Saturday to advance to the World Cup semi-finals, where they will face England. The match ended 2-2 after extra time.

"A tough match! Both Russia and Croatia were fighting to death. This is the only quarter-final match that... ended in a penalty shootout. The Russia team proved that they could compete. [That they could] be a team! They showed their character, they showed themselves at this tournament. A penalty shootout is a lottery. Today Croatia were a little bit more lucky. Thank you to the players and the coaching staff, a special thanks to [team head coach] Stanislav Cherchesov! We're proud of the Russian team!" Kolobkov told journalists.

Croatia will next face England at Moscow’s Luzhinki Stadium on Wednesday in the semi-finals.