Yugoslavia is still playing

This post was originally published on Politico.

Even though only two of its remnant nations, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, are still competing in the World Cup, the former Yugoslavia continues to punch well above its weight in global soccer. Though the region accounts for barely 0.2 percent of the world’s population, players with roots from there make up 7.5 percent of those who reached the round of 32, including former U.S. captain Christian Pulisic, who is of Croatian descent.