Michael Olise ignited the comeback with a breathtaking 25-yard free-kick, giving the French side hope. Despite relentless attacking waves, Croatia held firm until the final 10 minutes when Ousmane Dembélé struck, sending the game into extra time.
With neither side able to break the deadlock in the additional 30 minutes, penalties were needed to separate them. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan emerged as France's hero, saving two penalties before Dayot Upamecano slotted the winning kick.
The night's drama wasn't limited to France, though. In Spain, the Netherlands found themselves in a thrilling contest that ended in heartbreak. Having fought back multiple times to level the tie 5-5 on aggregate, they took Spain to penalties. Noa Lang and Lamine Yamal missed their kicks before Unai Simón's crucial save against Donyell Malen allowed Pedri to send Spain through.
Elsewhere, Germany's ball boy, 15-year-old Noel Urbaniack, became an overnight sensation. His lightning-quick ball delivery set up Kimmich's smart corner, a play that stunned Italy and earned the teenager recognition from the German team.
Mbappé later reflected, "We were convinced we were going to do it. We needed a game like this to get our fans back with us."
In other news, Spain's clash against the Netherlands delivered one of the most thrilling encounters of the quarter-finals. With a 3-3 draw on the night (agg 5-5), Spain secured their semi-final spot with a 5-4 victory in the penalty shootout.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring for Spain, but Memphis Depay quickly equalized for the Dutch. Lamine Yamal then put Spain ahead in extra time, only for Xavi Simons to respond six minutes later. The match headed to penalties, where Unai Simón's save against Donyell Malen allowed Pedri to send Spain through.
Meanwhile, Germany's commanding first-half performance against Italy almost unraveled as the Italians launched a thrilling comeback. Moise Kean's double brought Italy back into contention, and they were controversially denied a late penalty before eventually converting one in stoppage time, albeit too late to change their fate.
As Spain celebrated their triumph, the Netherlands' history of penalty shootout heartbreak continued. Their coach Ronald Koeman lamented, "I think that both teams should have gone through, but that's impossible. Fortune decided Spain won."
With a semi-final berth secured, Spain now prepares to face Germany in June, aiming to retain their Nations League crown. The excitement is far from over.
