Croatian model, influencer and DJ Ivana Knoll drew major attention again at the 2026 World Cup, this time at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where she arrived wearing her trademark revealing outfit in Croatia’s colors. Her appearance came as Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 with a Lionel Messi hat trick, and England opened the tournament with a 4-2 win over Croatia, but Knoll still became one of the most talked-about names in the stands and online.
The 33-year-old, who now has nearly three million Instagram followers, posted photos and videos from the match throughout the night. Thousands of fans photographed her in the stands, and the images quickly spread across social media. Her return confirmed that, four years after her breakout at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, she remains closely associated with football’s biggest global event.
Since Qatar, Knoll’s career has expanded beyond modeling and influencing. She has begun appearing as a DJ at international events and has received bookings for festivals and sports competitions around the world. Before the current tournament, she fulfilled a personal goal by performing at FIFA’s official fan festival in Los Angeles, where she also shared footage from the show and introduced a new World Cup-related song.
In interviews before the tournament, Knoll said she was optimistic about Croatia’s chances and believed the 2018 World Cup runners-up could again reach the later stages. Her comeback sparked praise and criticism online. One user wrote, “Ivana is back and the World Cup has finally started,” while another said she was “one of the figures most identified with the tournament in recent years.” Some complained that she distracts from the football, while others argued she has become part of the modern World Cup experience.
