Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said his players overcame an "inferiority complex" against world champions France, describing his side's Nations League win as "extraordinary".
Luka Modric's early penalty gave Croatia a 1-0 win over off-form France in Paris as the World Cup holders finished their June run of matches without a victory in four games.
Veteran Croatia captain Modric stroked in his spot-kick after just five minutes at the Stade de France, and the home side could not find an equaliser despite Kylian Mbappe returning to join Karim Benzema in the starting line-up.
"We had an inferiority complex against France after their win in the World Cup and so to win at the Stade de France in front of almost 80,000 people against the world champions is extraordinary," said Dalic.
France, winners of last year's Nations League, picked up just two points this time around, with home defeats against Denmark and now Croatia sandwiching draws away to the Croats and Austria.
As a result, Les Bleus are bottom of League A, Group 1, seven points behind leaders Denmark who beat Austria 2-0 in Copenhagen on Monday.
Didier Deschamps' team may now need to win their last two group games in September to avoid being relegated to the less glamorous League B.
Those matches are also the only games they have left before they begin their defence of the World Cup against Australia in Qatar in November.
"It is not an excuse but in this get-together we have lacked strength, energy and character too," said Deschamps.
"It hurts because we have not managed to win a game. Maybe I didn't have the usual energy to transmit to them either.
"We will need everyone at the start of next season to be in the right frame of mind and in the right athletic condition."
The last raft of Nations League matches before the curtain comes down on the European season will take place on Tuesday, when Germany take on Italy in Monchengladbach in the standout game.
