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Croatia

Nickname(s)	Vatreni (Blazers) Kockasti (Checkered Ones)
Association	Croatian Football Federation (HNS)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Zlatko Dalić
Captain	Luka Modrić
Most caps	Luka Modrić (184)
Top scorer	Davor Šuker (45)
FIFA code	CRO
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	13 (19 December 2024)
Highest	3 (July 1998)
Lowest	125 (March 1994)
First international
Croatia 4–0 Switzerland  (Zagreb, Yugoslavia; 2 April 1940)
Biggest win
Croatia 10–0 San Marino  (Rijeka, Croatia; 4 June 2016)
Biggest defeat
Spain 6–0 Croatia  (Elche, Spain; 11 September 2018)
World Cup
Appearances	6 (first in 1998)
Best result	Runners-up (2018)
European Championship
Appearances	7 (first in 1996)
Best result	Quarter-finals (1996, 2008)
Nations League Finals
Appearances	1 (first in 2023)
Best result	Runners-up (2023)
Medal record Men's football FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia Team 1998 France Team 2022 Qatar Team UEFA Nations League 2023 Netherlands Team
Website	www.hns-cff.hr

The Croatia national football team (Croatian: "Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija" or "Nogometna reprezentacija Hrvatske") represents Croatia in international football matches. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), the governing body for football in Croatia. It is a member of UEFA in Europe and FIFA in global competitions. The team's colours reference two national symbols: the Croatian checkerboard and the country's tricolour. They are colloquially referred to as the Vatreni (Blazers) and Kockasti (Checkered Ones).

Since 2024, the Vatreni have qualified for every major tournament with the exception of UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. At the World Cup, Croatia has finished second once (2018) and third on two occasions (1998, 2022), securing three World Cup medals. Davor Šuker won the Golden Shoe and the Silver Ball in 1998, while Luka Modrić won the Golden Ball in 2018 and the Bronze Ball in 2022. The team has reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Championship twice (1996, 2008). They finished second in the UEFA Nations League in 2023.

Upon its admission into FIFA in 1994 ranked 125th, they ascended to third place with their debut 1998 World Cup campaign. This marked the fastest, most volatile ascension in FIFA ranking history, making them the youngest team to ever reach a Top 10 place in the World Ranking. Croatia is the second-smallest country by population (after Uruguay) and land mass (after the Netherlands) to reach a World Cup final. At the World Cup, Croatia hold records for most penalty shoot-out played (4) and won (4) and most penalties saved in a shoot-out (3), among other team records. They were named FIFA Best Mover of the Year in 1994 and 1998, thus becoming the first national team to win the award twice and also equalling joint records with France and Colombia.

History

Official formation

The early history of Croatian football was delineated by a variety of unofficial sides as Croatia was not an independent entity until the late 20th century. Hugo Kinert first managed an unofficial side that played some international matches in 1918–19. In 1940, Jozo Jakopić led the national side representing the Yugoslav Banovina of Croatia in four friendly matches. Croatia's first official international match was a 4–0 win over Switzerland in their capital city, Zagreb, on 2 April 1940. Following the 1941 Axis invasion of Yugoslavia, Germany and Italy took control of Croatia, forming the Independent State of Croatia and installing Rudolf Hitrec as an unofficial manager for two years. The side played 15 friendly matches from its re-activation in FIFA in 1941 until the end of World War II. In 1945, Croatia returned to Yugoslavia as the People's Republic of Croatia with sides active until 1956. During the nation's pre-independence, Croat footballers played for Yugoslavia at the Summer Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, and the UEFA European Championship from 1956 to 1990.

Croatia debuted their modern checkered jersey against the United States on 17 October 1990, winning 2–1. Caretaker manager Dražan Jerković, led the de facto national side before their formal re-admission into FIFA on 3 July 1992, winning two more friendly games against Romania in December 1990 and Slovenia in June 1991. Stanko Poklepović took over team management and led them on an exhibition tour against Australia, before he was succeeded by Vlatko Marković in April 1993. Croatia gained admission into UEFA in June 1993, three months after qualification for the 1994 World Cup started, missing their window to enter the competition. After winning a match against Ukraine in June 1993, Marković was succeeded by Miroslav Blažević in March 1994.

Blažević period (1994–1999)

After its independence from Yugoslavia, the newly formed Croatia entered the FIFA World Rankings in 125th place in March 1994. Blažević launched Croatia's qualifying campaign for Euro 1996 with a 2–0 win over Estonia on 4 September 1994 and a 1–0 away loss to Ukraine on 1 June 1995, their first competitive win and loss. After finishing first in qualifying, the team halved their spot in the World Ranking, ascending to number 62, winning FIFA's 1994 Best Mover of the Year in December 1994. In the group stage of Euro 1996, Goran Vlaović scored the team's first goal at a tournament, a late strike to win 1–0 against Turkey. Croatia then beat reigning champions Denmark 3–0, later losing to Portugal by the same scoreline. The team advanced to the knockout stage and were beaten in the quarter-finals 1–2 by Germany. Croatia's qualifying campaign from 1998 to 1999 for Euro 2000 was unsuccessful as they finished third in their group behind FR Yugoslavia and the Republic of Ireland. Both fixtures against Yugoslavia ended in draws which prevented Croatia from qualifying by one point.

Croatia began their qualification campaign for the 1998 World Cup with an aggregate victory against Ukraine in the two-legged playoff. In the group stage, Croatia beat both Jamaica and Japan, later losing to Argentina to advance with them to the knockout stage. A 1–0 victory over Romania moved the Croatians to the quarter-finals against Germany. Croatia beat the Germans 3–0 with goals from Robert Jarni, Goran Vlaović and Davor Šuker, all after Christian Wörns had been sent off. They advanced to their first semi-finals against the hosts France. After a goalless first-half, Croatia led after Aljoša Asanović pushed past Zinedine Zidane to cross a ball downfield to Šuker who scored after a one-on-one with goalkeeper Fabien Barthez. France's defender Lilian Thuram equalized quickly after, and scored another goal later in the game to beat Croatia 2–1. In the third place playoff, Croatia prevailed against the Netherlands 2–1 to secure bronze and claim their first World Cup medal. Šuker won the Golden Shoe for scoring the most goals in the World Cup: six goals in seven games. The Croatians' performance during the late-1990s propelled them to rank third place in the FIFA World Ranking in January 1999. The team of the 1990s was dubbed the "golden generation" for their contributions to Croatia's ascension in international football.

Jozić, Barić and Kranjčar period (2000–2006)

Croatia started their qualifying campaign for the 2002 World Cup with draws against Belgium and Scotland prompting Blažević's resignation as head coach in October 2000. His successor, Mirko Jozić, pushed the team through the rest of qualifiers undefeated. In the group stage, Croatia narrowly lost to Mexico before beating Italy 2–1 and sustaining a 1–0 loss to Ecuador. The team was eliminated by one point, leading to the resignation of Jozić and succession of Otto Barić in July 2002, their first manager born outside of Southeastern Europe. During Barić's tenure, most of the remaining players from the "golden generation" squad were gradually replaced by younger players over the course of qualifying for Euro 2004. Croatia qualified in a playoff victory against Slovenia, winning 2–1 on aggregate after Dado Pršo's decisive late goal in the second leg. The team was eliminated at the group stage after drawing 0–0 with Switzerland and 2–2 with France, and losing 2–4 to England. Barić departed after his two-year contract expired in June 2004. Prior to launching the team's qualification for the 2006 World Cup, Zlatko Kranjčar succeed Barić in July 2004. Croatia qualified undefeated, topping the group ahead of Sweden and Bulgaria. In the group stage, Croatia lost their opening game to Brazil and drew 0–0 with Japan after Darijo Srna missed a first-half penalty. A 2–2 draw with Australia in which three players were sent off confirmed Croatia's elimination.

Bilić period (2006–2012)

In July 2006, prior to Euro 2008, Kranjčar was replaced with Slaven Bilić, who introduced newer, younger players to the squad and finished qualifying undefeated. His first game was a 2–0 victory against reigning world champions Italy during an international friendly. Croatia lost once to Macedonia and beat England twice, who as a result failed to qualify for the first time since 1984. Eduardo da Silva, the team's top goalscorer during qualifying, sustained an injury while playing for his club, Arsenal, leading to a shake-up in the finals squad with less experienced players. Croatia finished group stage undefeated with a 1–0 win over co-hosts Austria, 2–1 win over Germany, and 1–0 win over Poland. The team collected the maximum group stage points possible (9) for the first time in their Euros history. Niko Kovač and Dario Šimić held captaincy during the group and knockout stages, respectively. Croatia pushed Turkey to a penalty shoot-out in the quarter-finals in which the Turkish side prevailed in an upset win where Luka Modrić, Mladen Petrić and Ivan Rakitić all missed their penalties. Croatia set multiple Euro records: fewest goals conceded (2), fewest games lost (0), and earliest goal scored.

Bilić renewed his contract in April 2008, before the qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup. Croatia won 3–0 against Kazakhstan, before taking a 4–1 loss to England at Stadion Maksimir, their first home loss in 14 years. The team drew 0–0 with Ukraine and beat Andorra twice, drawing again with Ukraine and beating Belarus twice. In the final stretch of the qualifiers, England delivered Croatia's then-heaviest loss, a 5–1 scoreline, at Wembley Stadium. The team had a number of players' injuries during qualifying and were ultimately eliminated, on points, as Ukraine defeated both England and Andorra to advance in the group.

Croatia was a candidate to co-host Euro 2012 with Hungary which would have resulted in automatic qualification for both countries; UEFA ultimately selected Poland and Ukraine. The Croatians began their qualifying campaign for Euro 2012 with a 3–0 win over Latvia, a goalless draw with Greece, and a 2–1 win against Israel. In the qualifying playoff against Turkey, the team won 3–0 on aggregate. They were grouped with the Republic of Ireland, Italy and defending champions Spain, opening with a 3–1 victory over the Irish. Croatia drew with Italy 1–1 in a match marred by disruptive fans and controversial refereeing from English official Howard Webb. The side was knocked out by Spain in a 0–1 loss, which, along with 1–1 rematch with Italy, had Croatia eliminated. Bilić retired before Euro 2012, with the Croatians continuously ranked among the top ten teams in the world during his tenure – 2007 to 2012.

Štimac, Kovač and Čačić period (2012–2017)

Succeeding Bilić, former player Igor Štimac was appointed manager while Davor Šuker assumed the presidency of the Croatian Football Federation in 2012 after the death of Vlatko Marković. A year in, Štimac was replaced by former captain Niko Kovač. Kovač led the team to a 2–0 aggregate victory over Iceland in the qualifying playoffs for the 2014 World Cup with both goals coming in the home leg in Zagreb. In the group stage, Croatia opened their campaign with a 3–1 loss to Brazil. The match garnered media attention for controversial refereeing from Yuichi Nishimura which was scrutinized for a number of decisions. In their second match, Croatia won 4–0 against Cameroon then lost 3–1 to Mexico, finishing third in the group and missing the knockout stage.

During the qualifying campaign of Euro 2016, Croatia drew with Azerbaijan and lost to Norway, leading to Kovač's replacement with Ante Čačić. The team broke their record for most goals scored in a match with a friendly 10–0 win over San Marino in June 2016. They topped the group stage of that year's Euros, advancing with defending champions Spain. Croatia prevailed over Turkey 1–0 with a long-range volley goal from Luka Modrić, before drawing 2–2 draw against the Czech Republic. In the latter match, Croatia led with goals from Ivan Perišić and Ivan Rakitić, while opposing Czech striker Milan Škoda and a last-minute penalty from Tomáš Necid drew the match. There was severe crowd trouble and on-field flares in the game's last minutes with a steward injured by a stray firework. Croatia then overtook Spain 2–1, confirming the Spaniards' first defeat at a Euro finals match since 2004. The Croatians were tipped as one of the tournament favourites as they entered the knockout stage with Portugal. The Portuguese prevailed 1–0 with Ricardo Quaresma's winning goal in the 117th minute after Perišić hit the post with a header in the previous attack. Following the campaign, Darijo Srna announced his retirement and the succession of Modrić as team captain in August 2016.

Dalić period (since 2017)

Croatia qualified for the 2018 World Cup undefeated for their first five matches. Two defeats to Iceland and Turkey, as well as a draw against Finland, led to a public outcry that ousted manager Čačić. He was replaced by Zlatko Dalić, who formally qualified the team with a 2–0 win against Ukraine, and a 4–1 win with Greece, on aggregate, during a playoff round in the first leg in Zagreb. The 2017–18 squad was known as Croatia's second "golden generation", referencing their 1998 counterparts, during the side's World Cup campaign. They topped their group with a 2–0 victory over Nigeria, a 3–0 win over Argentina, and a 2–1 win with Iceland – their best-ever group stage performance.

During the knockout stage, they beat Denmark in a penalty shoot-out for the first time after goalkeeper Danijel Subašić saved three penalties, equalling the record for most penalties saved in a shoot-out. In the quarter-finals, Croatia drew 2–2 with hosts Russia, becoming the first team since 1990 to win two consecutive penalty shoot-outs. Playing England in the semi-finals, Croatia equalized to force their third consecutive extra time, matching the tournament record. Mario Mandžukić and Perišić scored as Croatia won 2–1 making them the second-smallest country by population (after Uruguay) and land mass (after the Netherlands) to reach a World Cup final. In the World Cup final they lost to France 4–2, finishing in second place and securing the silver medal. The match was controversial for its refereeing. The team was welcomed by an estimated half a million people at their homecoming in Zagreb.

The team entered the Nations League's inaugural 2018–19 edition in League A, along with England and Spain in January 2018. Croatia lost 6–0 away to Spain in their first game, the side's record loss in a match. Croatia drew 0–0 home with England, played behind closed doors due to UEFA sanctions. The team then overtook Spain 3–2 with a goal in stoppage time, followed by a 2–1 away defeat to England. Croatia were set to be relegated to League B until a tournament rule change retained them in League A, grouping them with Portugal, France and Sweden in the 2020–21 tournament. Croatia lost to France and Portugal, but a victory against Sweden was sufficient to avoid relegation.

The team topped their group for the qualifying campaign of Euro 2020, with a loss to Hungary, and draws against Azerbaijan and Wales. The 2020 finals were delayed into 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, winning only two out of eight games in 2020, Croatia achieved their worst-ever aggregate win-rate. Croatia finished second in their Euros group, with a 1–0 loss to England, a 1–1 draw with the Czech Republic and a 3–1 win over Scotland. They advanced to the round of 16, where they lost to Spain 5–3 after extra time. The loss to Spain led to heightened criticism against Dalić and the team by the Croatian public, a faction of whom called for resignations. Dalić refreshed the team roster by introducing younger debutants for the remainder of World Cup qualifying in 2021.

Croatia qualified for the 2022 World Cup with one loss, two draws and seven wins. The team advanced from group stage after a 0–0 draw with Morocco, a 4–1 win against Canada, and finished ahead of Belgium by a single point after drawing 0–0. They won against Japan in a penalty shootout in the round of 16 where Dominik Livaković saved three of four Japanese penalties, equalling a record held by Ricardo and Danijel Subašić. Croatia similarly beat Brazil during the quarter-finals in an upset victory on penalties, having come from behind to draw 1–1 in the final minutes of extra time. In the semi-final match, Croatia sustained their heaviest World Cup defeat, 3–0 against Argentina. They prevailed 2–1 over Morocco in the third place playoff, securing their second bronze medal.

The team topped their group in the 2023 Nations League, knocking out reigning champions France by winning 1–0 on a penalty – their first-ever win against the French. Croatia beat the Netherlands 4–2 in the semi-finals, advancing to their first Nations League final, against Spain. After drawing the Spanish 0–0 in extra time, the team lost the penalty shootout 4–5, finishing the tournament in second place. Croatia finished second in the qualifying for Euro 2024, being drawn into a "group of death" with Spain, Italy, and Albania. After a 3–0 loss to Spain, they drew 2–2 with Albania and 1–1 with Italy. The Italians shut them out of the knockout stage, on points, with a 98th minute stoppage-time goal from striker Mattia Zaccagni.

Croatia is set to compete in the 2024 Nations League in Autumn 2024, followed by qualification matches for the 2026 World Cup.

Image

Kits

Croatia's modern-day team jersey was created in 1990 by Miroslav Šutej, the designer behind the nation's flag and coat of arms. The red-and-white motif is based on the Croatian checkerboard (šahovnica). The typical kit color-way features red-and-white checkered shirts, white shorts and blue socks to match the Croatian tricolor (Trobojnica). There have been variations made by the kit manufacturers since the original release; the jersey design has remained consistent throughout the years and has served as a blueprint for other Croatian national sports teams and entities.

Meanwhile, the away kits used by the team have for a period been all-blue, incorporating the red-and-white checkers as a trim. Since then, Croatia has used darker colored away kits such as the dark navy-and-black checkered design that featured prominently in the 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign. The Vatreni have often been required to use their darker away kits even when playing at home because their opponents have red-and-white color schemes that clash with the chequers of Croatia.

Kit supplier	Period
Uhlsport	1990–1991
Lotto	1992–1994
Kappa	1994
Lotto	1994–2000
Nike	2000–present

Supporters

The team has developed an extensive fan base since the 1990s. Following their debut run at the 1998 World Cup, there was a rise in domestic and global attention for the side. Political scientist Alex J. Bellamy observed in 2003 that the national team became a symbol of statehood in Croatia after their independence through the cultural export of football. The government's influence on team affairs eased substantially after the death of President Franjo Tuđman in 1999. All matches are followed and televised throughout the country, particularly during major tournaments. In November 2022, the Ministry of Science and Education issued guidance to let school children watch matches during the school day as long coursework is made up later. Following the 2018 World Cup, the Croatian Cabinet attended ministerial meetings in team jerseys, and during the 2022 World Cup, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković delivered a hurried speech " only 37 seconds" at the Euro-Mediterranean Summit to catch the quarter-finals.

The Croatian Football Federation endorses an official fan club for the team, known as Uvijek Vjerni ("Always Faithful"). A part of the team's support consists of fans of Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split, the two largest clubs in Croatia's top domestic football league, the Hrvatska nogometna liga (HNL). Both sets of fans—Bad Blue Boys from Zagreb and Torcida from Split—have been associated with hooliganism due to their ultra-style support. Regional support for the team also comes from Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly from fans of domestic clubs Zrinjski Mostar and Široki Brijeg. The diaspora of Croatians across the United States, Canada, Australia, and South America contribute to the majority of the side's international support. It is customary among supporters to include an inscription of their city of origin onto the Croatian flag. Fans also coordinate their vocal support and orchestrate chants during matches. One section may shout "U boj, u boj" ("To battle, to battle") with another responding "Za narod svoj" ("For our people"). In addition to chants, the team regularly have songs dedicated to them, such as Slaven Bilić's "Vatreno ludilo" (Fiery Madness) which topped Croatian music charts during Euro 2008.

The disruptive behaviour of supporters during matches – in particular those exhibiting ultra-style fandom – has complicated national team affairs. Hooliganism, rioting, vandalism, littering, violence, use of pyrotechnics and discriminatory political expression has led to sanctions both domestically and internationally. The link between the team and national identity generates perennial tension around ethnic nationalism and fascism stemming from the dissolution of Yugoslavia. The football federation, government, and players have made material efforts to prevent unwanted incidents in order to avoid damage to the perception of the team and Croatian people. This has included banning their own fans from certain games. The behaviour of fans has led to penalties and fines for the national team imposed by FIFA and UEFA. The Croatian Football Federation has been assessed significant disciplinary fines and penalties since the early 2000s. In addition to monetary fines, the team has faced tournament point deductions and have had their supporters banned. There have also been multiple acts of protest against the national team, in response to allegations of corruption.

Charity

To advance the team's charitable efforts manager Slaven Bilić established the Vatreno Srce (Fiery Heart) Foundation in 2010. The primary cause of the foundation is helping children. As of 2012, the foundation made fifty donations of 1,200,000 HRK to various children's organizations. In December 2012, the foundation made 500,000 HRK on an auction of Niko Kranjčar's shirt and Lionel Messi's shirt that was signed by all FC Barcelona players. The auction was organized in the Esplanade Zagreb Hotel and attended by President of Croatia Ivo Josipović. In November 2018, the players gathered in The Westin Hotel in Zagreb to answer fans' phonecalls, the proceeds of which were donated to the Vatreno Srce Foundation. In 2018, the foundation financed Children's Hospital Zagreb and Korak u Život (A Step Into Life), a charity that helps young children raised in orphanages make the transition into higher education. In November 2019, more than 500,000 HRK was collected in another call event that were then directed to Children's Hospital Kantrida. In March 2020, the players collectively donated 4.2 million HRK to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and for repair of damage caused by the 2020 Zagreb earthquake. Members of national team also visit and help children with special needs and their education institutions.

Stadiums

The national team has played in thirteen stadiums around the country. The majority of Croatia's home matches take place at Stadion Maksimir in Zagreb, the country's largest football stadium, which is also the home-ground of local football club Dinamo Zagreb. It was one of two venues for Euro 1976, hosted by Yugoslavia, alongside Red Star Stadium in Belgrade. The Croatian Football Federation previously agreed on extensive plans with the government to renovate the stadium and increase its forty-thousand seating capacity, the proposal was eventually rejected by Mayor of Zagreb Milan Bandić in 2008 due to construction costs.

Home matches are occasionally played at other, smaller venues around the country. Stadion Poljud in Split has hosted some qualifying fixtures since 1995. In the period between 1995 and 2011, Croatia never won a competitive match at Poljud, which the local media dubbed Poljudsko prokletsvo ("the Poljud curse"). Qualifying fixtures have also been played at Stadion Kantrida in Rijeka along with Stadion Gradski Vrt in Osijek and Stadion Varteks in Varaždin.

Stadium	City / town	Pld	W	D	L	Win %	Last match hosted	Map of the host cities
Stadion Maksimir	Zagreb	69	48	15	6	069.6	2024	ZagrebSplitOsijekRijekaVaraždinPulaKoprivnicaVinkovciŠibenikVelika Gorica
Stadion Poljud	Split	19	4	10	5	021.1	2024
Stadion Gradski vrt	Osijek	14	10	3	1	071.4	2022
Stadion Kantrida	Rijeka	11	10	1	0	090.9	2011
Stadion Rujevica		9	7	2	0	077.8	2024
Stadion Varteks	Varaždin	8	5	2	1	062.5	2019
Stadion A. Drosina	Pula	5	4	0	1	080.0	2019
Opus Arena	Osijek	2	1	0	1	050.0	2024
Stadion Koprivnica	Koprivnica	1	1	0	0	100.0	2016
Stadion Cibalia	Vinkovci	1	1	0	0	100.0	2009
Stadion Kranjčevićeva	Zagreb	1	1	0	0	100.0	1996
Stadion Šubićevac	Šibenik	1	0	1	0	000.0	2003
Stadion Radnik	Velika Gorica	1	0	1	0	000.0	2021
Total		142	92	34	15	64.8%	2024

Last updated: Croatia vs. Scotland, 12 October 2024
Statistics include only official matches recognized by Croatian Football Federation (HNS)

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2024

23 March 2024 FIFA Series	Tunisia	0–0 (4–5 p)	Croatia	Cairo, Egypt
21:00		Report		Stadium: Cairo International Stadium Attendance: 4,300 Referee: Mohamed Maarouf (Egypt)
	Penalties
	Ben Romdhane Laïdouni Abdi Jelassi Ltaief Jaziri Haddadi		Vlašić Kramarić Petković Majer Mari. Pašalić Juranović Marc. Pašalić

26 March 2024 FIFA Series	Egypt	2–4	Croatia	New Administrative Capital, Egypt
22:00	Rabia 6' Abdelmonem 90+4'	Report	Vlašić 21' Petković 57' Kramarić 77' Majer 86'	Stadium: New Administrative Capital Stadium Attendance: 85,350 Referee: Adalbert Diouf (Senegal)

3 June Friendly	Croatia	3–0	North Macedonia	Rijeka, Croatia
19:00	Majer 10', 45' Marc. Pašalić 79'	Report		Stadium: Stadion Rujevica Attendance: 8,030 Referee: Matej Jug (Slovenia)

8 June Friendly	Portugal	1–2	Croatia	Oeiras, Portugal
18:45	Jota 48'	Report	Modrić 8' (pen.) Budimir 56'	Stadium: Estádio Nacional Attendance: 37,500 Referee: Harm Osmers (Germany)

15 June UEFA Euro 2024 Group B	Spain	3–0	Croatia	Berlin, Germany
18:00 CEST	Morata 29' Fabián 32' Carvajal 45+2'	Report		Stadium: Olympiastadion Attendance: 68,844 Referee: Michael Oliver (England)

19 June UEFA Euro 2024 Group B	Croatia	2–2	Albania	Hamburg, Germany
15:00 CEST	Kramarić 74' Gjasula (o.g.) 76'	Report	Laçi 11' Gjasula 90+5'	Stadium: Volksparkstadion Attendance: 46,784 Referee: François Letexier (France)

24 June UEFA Euro 2024 Group B	Croatia	1–1	Italy	Leipzig, Germany
21:00 CEST	Modrić 55'	Report	Zaccagni 90+8'	Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 38,322 Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)

5 September 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A	Portugal	2–1	Croatia	Lisbon, Portugal
20:45 CEST(19:45 WET)	Dalot 7' Ronaldo 34'	Report	Dalot 41' (o.g.)	Stadium: Estádio da Luz Attendance: 57,675 Referee: Halil Umut Meler (Turkey)

8 September 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A	Croatia	1–0	Poland	Osijek, Croatia
20:45 CEST	Modrić 52'	Report		Stadium: Opus Arena Attendance: 12,612 Referee: François Letexier (France)

12 October 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A	Croatia	2–1	Scotland	Zagreb, Croatia
18:00 CEST	Matanović 36' Kramarić 70'	Report	Christie 33'	Stadium: Stadion Maksimir Attendance: 21,702 Referee: István Kovács (Romania)

15 October 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A	Poland	3–3	Croatia	Warsaw, Poland
20:45 CEST	Zieliński 5' Zalewski 45' Szymański 68'	Report	Sosa 19' P. Sučić 24' Baturina 26'	Stadium: Kazimierz Górski National Stadium Attendance: 56,103 Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández (Spain)

15 November 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A	Scotland	1–0	Croatia	Glasgow, Scotland
20:45 CET(19:45 GMT)	McGinn 86'	Report		Stadium: Hampden Park Attendance: 48,810 Referee: Orel Grinfeeld (Israel)

18 November 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A	Croatia	1–1	Portugal	Split, Croatia
20:45 CET	Gvardiol 65'	Report	Félix 33'	Stadium: Stadion Poljud Attendance: 33,386 Referee: Davide Massa (Italy)

2025

20 March 2024–25 UEFA Nations League QF	Croatia	v	France	Split, Croatia
20:45 CET		Report		Stadium: Stadion Poljud

23 March 2024–25 UEFA Nations League QF	France	v	Croatia	Saint-Denis, France
20:45 CET		Report		Stadium: Stade de France

Management

Position	Name
Head coach	Zlatko Dalić
Assistant coach	Vedran Ćorluka
Goalkeeping coaches	Marjan Mrmić Danijel Subašić
Fitness coaches	Marin Dadić Luka Milanović
Analyst	Dražen Ladić
Video analyst	Marc Rochon
Scouts	Nikola Jerkan Ognjen Vukojević
Physiotherapists	Goran Beloglavec Neven Golubar Miroslav Jamnić Nenad Krošnjar Nderim Redžaj
Doctors	Saša Janković Eduard Rod Tomislav Vlahović
Technical director	Stipe Pletikosa
Team manager	Iva Olivari
Security officer	Miroslav Marković
Media officer	Tomislav Pacak
Chef	Tomica Đukić
Kit men	Dennis Lukančić Mladen Pilčić Goran Vincek

Manager history

The following table provides a summary of the complete record of each Croatia manager's results in the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship.

Manager	Period	Pld	W	D	L	Win %
Pre-independence
Jozo Jakopić	1940–1941	4	2	1	1	050.00
Rudolf Hitrec	1941	1	0	0	1	000.00
Bogdan Cuvaj	1941–1943	13	6	3	4	046.15
Bernard Hügl	1943–1945	1	1	0	0	100.00
Bogdan Cuvaj	1956	1	1	0	0	100.00
Total		20	10	4	6	50%

Manager	Period	Pld	W	D	L	Win %	Major competitions
Post-independence
Dražan Jerković	1990–1991	3	3	0	0	100.00
Stanko Poklepović	1992	4	1	1	2	025.00
Vlatko Marković	1993–1994	1	1	0	0	100.00
Miroslav Blažević	1994–2000	72	33	24	15	045.83	1996 European Championship – Quarter-finals 1998 World Cup – Third place 2000 European Championship – Failed to qualify
Tomislav Ivić (c)	1994	1	1	0	0	100.00
Mirko Jozić	2000–2002	18	9	6	3	050.00	2002 World Cup – Group stage
Otto Barić	2002–2004	24	11	8	5	045.83	2004 European Championship – Group stage
Zlatko Kranjčar	2004–2006	25	11	8	6	044.00	2006 World Cup – Group stage
Slaven Bilić	2006–2012	65	42	15	8	064.62	2008 European Championship – Quarter-finals 2010 World Cup – Failed to qualify 2012 European Championship – Group stage
Igor Štimac	2012–2013	15	8	2	5	053.33
Niko Kovač	2013–2015	19	10	5	4	052.63	2014 World Cup – Group stage
Ante Čačić	2015–2017	25	15	6	4	060.00	2016 European Championship – Round of 16
Zlatko Dalić	2017–present	93	45	25	23	048.39	2018 World Cup – Runners-up 2020 European Championship – Round of 16 2022 World Cup – Third place 2022–23 UEFA Nations League – Runners-up 2024 European Championship – Group stage
Total		365	190	100	75	52.05%	13 out of 15

Last updated: Croatia vs. Portugal, 18 November 2024 Source: Croatian Football Federation

Players

Current squad

The following players were selected for Croatia's 2024–25 UEFA Nations League match against Portugal on 18 November 2024.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Dominik Livaković	(1995-01-09) 9 January 1995 (age 29)	62	0	Fenerbahçe
12	1GK	Dominik Kotarski	(2000-02-10) 10 February 2000 (age 24)	2	0	PAOK
23	1GK	Ivica Ivušić	(1995-02-01) 1 February 1995 (age 29)	6	0	Pafos
	1GK	Nediljko Labrović	(1999-10-10) 10 October 1999 (age 25)	2	0	FC Augsburg
3	2DF	Marin Pongračić	(1997-09-11) 11 September 1997 (age 27)	11	0	Fiorentina
4	2DF	Joško Gvardiol	(2002-01-23) 23 January 2002 (age 22)	39	3	Manchester City
5	2DF	Duje Ćaleta-Car	(1996-09-17) 17 September 1996 (age 28)	29	1	Lyon
6	2DF	Josip Šutalo	(2000-02-28) 28 February 2000 (age 24)	23	0	Ajax
19	2DF	Borna Sosa	(1998-01-21) 21 January 1998 (age 26)	26	2	Torino
2	3MF	Kristijan Jakić	(1997-05-14) 14 May 1997 (age 27)	9	0	FC Augsburg
7	3MF	Nikola Moro	(1998-03-12) 12 March 1998 (age 26)	2	0	Bologna
8	3MF	Mateo Kovačić (third captain)	(1994-05-06) 6 May 1994 (age 30)	108	5	Manchester City
10	3MF	Luka Modrić (captain)	(1985-09-09) 9 September 1985 (age 39)	184	27	Real Madrid
13	3MF	Nikola Vlašić	(1997-10-04) 4 October 1997 (age 27)	57	8	Torino
15	3MF	Mario Pašalić	(1995-02-09) 9 February 1995 (age 29)	72	10	Atalanta
16	3MF	Martin Baturina	(2003-02-16) 16 February 2003 (age 21)	9	1	Dinamo Zagreb
21	3MF	Luka Sučić	(2002-09-08) 8 September 2002 (age 22)	16	0	Real Sociedad
9	4FW	Andrej Kramarić	(1991-06-19) 19 June 1991 (age 33)	102	30	TSG Hoffenheim
11	4FW	Ante Budimir	(1991-07-22) 22 July 1991 (age 33)	28	3	Osasuna
14	4FW	Ivan Perišić (vice-captain)	(1989-02-02) 2 February 1989 (age 35)	140	33	PSV Eindhoven
17	4FW	Marco Pašalić	(2000-09-14) 14 September 2000 (age 24)	5	1	Rijeka
18	4FW	Mislav Oršić	(1992-12-29) 29 December 1992 (age 31)	27	2	Trabzonspor
20	4FW	Marko Pjaca	(1995-05-06) 6 May 1995 (age 29)	28	1	Dinamo Zagreb
22	4FW	Igor Matanović	(2003-03-31) 31 March 2003 (age 21)	5	1	Eintracht Frankfurt

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the squad in the last twelve months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
DF	Martin Erlić	(1998-01-24) 24 January 1998 (age 26)	10	0	Bologna	v.  Scotland, 15 November 2024
DF	Šimun Hrgović	(2004-03-20) 20 March 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Hajduk Split	v.  Scotland, 15 November 2024
DF	Dominik Prpić	(2004-05-19) 19 May 2004 (age 20)	0	0	Hajduk Split	v.  Scotland, 12 October 2024
DF	Josip Stanišić	(2000-04-02) 2 April 2000 (age 24)	20	0	Bayern Munich	v.  Portugal, 5 September 2024
DF	Borna Barišić	(1992-11-10) 10 November 1992 (age 32)	35	1	Trabzonspor	v.  Portugal, 5 September 2024
DF	Domagoj Vida	(1989-04-29) 29 April 1989 (age 35)	105	4	AEK Athens	UEFA Euro 2024
DF	Josip Juranović	(1995-08-16) 16 August 1995 (age 29)	39	0	Union Berlin	UEFA Euro 2024
MF	Petar Sučić	(2003-10-25) 25 October 2003 (age 21)	5	1	Dinamo Zagreb	v.  Portugal, 18 November 2024
MF	Lovro Majer	(1998-01-17) 17 January 1998 (age 26)	34	8	VfL Wolfsburg	v.  Scotland, 15 November 2024
MF	Luka Ivanušec	(1998-11-26) 26 November 1998 (age 26)	22	2	Feyenoord	v.  Scotland, 15 November 2024
MF	Toni Fruk	(2001-04-09) 9 April 2001 (age 23)	0	0	Rijeka	v.  Scotland, 15 November 2024
MF	Robert Ljubičić	(1999-07-14) 14 July 1999 (age 25)	0	0	AEK Athens	v.  Scotland, 12 October 2024
MF	Marcelo Brozović	(1992-11-16) 16 November 1992 (age 32)	99	7	Al Nassr	UEFA Euro 2024
MF	Niko Sigur	(2003-09-09) 9 September 2003 (age 21)	0	0	Hajduk Split	UEFA Euro 2024
FW	Bruno Petković	(1994-09-16) 16 September 1994 (age 30)	42	11	Dinamo Zagreb	v.  Scotland, 15 November 2024
FW	Marin Ljubičić	(2002-02-28) 28 February 2002 (age 22)	0	0	LASK	UEFA Euro 2024
= Injured or ill. = Withdrew. = Suspended from participating. = Retired after latest call-up. = Joined the Croatia U21 team instead. = Preliminary squad. = Switched to Canada national team

Individual statistics

As of 18 November 2024

Statistics below are sourced from the Croatian Football Federation, players in bold are still active with Croatia.

Most appearances

Surpassing Robert Jarni's previous record of 81 appearances, Dario Šimić was the first player to reach 100 appearances, doing so before his retirement in 2008. Darijo Srna, Josip Šimunić and Stipe Pletikosa collectively reached their 100th cap in February 2013. Srna was the most capped player from 2016 to 2021, with 134 appearances. He was surpassed by Luka Modrić in 2021.

The youngest player to play for Croatia is Alen Halilović (aged 16 years, 11 months and 23 days), while the oldest is Luka Modrić (39 years, 2 months and 9 days).

Top goalscorers

Davor Šuker is Croatia's highest goalscorer with a record 45 international goals from 1991 to 2002.

The team's youngest goalscorer is Luka Ivanušec (aged 18 years, 1 month and 19 days).

Most clean sheets

Competitive record

  Champions  
  Runners-up  
  Third place  
  Fourth place  
  Tournament played fully or partially on home soil  

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Part of  Kingdom of Yugoslavia
1934
1938
1950	Part of  Yugoslavia
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994	Did not enter
1998	Third place	3rd	7	5	0	2	11	5	Squad		2nd	10	5	4	1	20	13
2002	Group stage	23rd	3	1	0	2	2	3	Squad		1st	8	5	3	0	15	2
2006		22nd	3	0	2	1	2	3	Squad		1st	10	7	3	0	21	5
2010	Did not qualify										3rd	10	6	2	2	19	13
2014	Group stage	19th	3	1	0	2	6	6	Squad		2nd	12	6	3	3	14	9
2018	Runners-up	2nd	7	4	2	1	14	9	Squad		2nd	12	7	3	2	19	5
2022	Third place	3rd	7	2	4	1	8	7	Squad		1st	10	7	2	1	21	4
2026	To be determined										To be determined
2030
2034
Total	Runners-up	6/7	30	13	8	9	43	33	—		6/7	72	43	20	9	129	51

Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out; correct as of 17 December 2022 after the match against  Morocco.

Matches
First match	Croatia 3–1 Jamaica  (Lens, France; 14 June 1998)
Biggest win	Croatia 4–0 Cameroon  (Manaus, Brazil; 18 June 2014)
Biggest defeat	Argentina 3–0 Croatia  (Lusail, Qatar; 13 December 2022)
Best result	Runners-up in 2018
Worst result	Group stage in 2002, 2006 and 2014

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record											Qualifying record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1960	Part of  Yugoslavia
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996	Quarter-finals	7th	4	2	0	2	5	5	Squad		1st	10	7	2	1	22	5
2000	Did not qualify										3rd	8	4	3	1	13	9
2004	Group stage	13th	3	0	2	1	4	6	Squad		2nd	10	6	2	2	14	5
2008	Quarter-finals	5th	4	3	1	0	5	2	Squad		1st	12	9	2	1	28	8
2012	Group stage	10th	3	1	1	1	4	3	Squad		2nd	12	8	2	2	21	7
2016	Round of 16	9th	4	2	1	1	5	4	Squad		2nd	10	6	3	1	20	5
2020		14th	4	1	1	2	7	8	Squad		1st	8	5	2	1	17	7
2024	Group stage	20th	3	0	2	1	3	6	Squad		2nd	8	5	1	2	13	4
2028	To be determined										To be determined
2032
Total	Quarter-finals	7/8	25	9	8	8	33	34	—		7/17	78	50	17	11	148	50

Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out; correct as of 24 June 2024 after the match against  Italy.

Matches
First match	Croatia 1–0 Turkey  (Nottingham, England; 11 June 1996)
Biggest win	Croatia 3–0 Denmark  (Sheffield, England; 16 June 1996)
Biggest defeat	Portugal 3–0 Croatia  (Nottingham, England; 19 June 1996)  Spain 3–0 Croatia  (Berlin, Germany; 15 June 2024)
Best result	Quarter-finals in 1996 and 2008
Worst result	Group stage in 2004, 2012, and 2024

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League													Finals record
Season	LG	Grp	Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	P/R	RK		Year	Round	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
2018–19	A	4	3rd	4	1	1	2	4	10		9th		2019	Did not qualify
2020–21	A	3	3rd	6	1	0	5	9	16		12th		2021
2022–23	A	1	1st	6	4	1	1	8	6		2nd		2023	Runners-up	2	1	1	0	4	2	Squad
2024–25	A	1	2nd	6	2	2	2	8	8		8th		2025	To be determined
2026–27	A	To be determined											2027
Total				22	8	4	10	29	40	2nd			Total	1/3	2	1	1	0	4	2	—

Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out; correct as of 18 November 2024, after the match against  Portugal.

Matches
First match	Spain 6–0 Croatia  (Elche, Spain; 11 September 2018)
Biggest win	Austria 1–3 Croatia  (Vienna, Austria; 25 September 2022)  Netherlands 2–4 Croatia  (Rotterdam, Netherlands; 14 June 2023)
Biggest defeat	Spain 6–0 Croatia  (Elche, Spain; 11 September 2018)
Best result	Runners-up in 2022–23
Worst result	12th place in 2020–21

Other

Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1996 King Hassan II International Cup Tournament	Champions	1st	2	0	2	0	3	3
1997 Kirin Cup Soccer	Runners-up	2nd	2	0	1	1	4	5
1999 Korea Cup	Champions	1st	3	1	2	0	5	4
2006 Lunar New Year Cup	Third place	3rd	2	1	0	1	4	2
2017 China Cup	Fourth place	4th	2	0	2	0	2	2
2024 ACUD Cup	Champions	1st	2	1	1	0	4	2
Total	3 Title	6/6	13	3	8	2	22	18

Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks; correct as of 26 March 2024 after the match against  Egypt.

Head-to-head record

Croatia results

Summary 1940–1991 1992–1999 2000–2009 2010–2019 2020–present

Key

Correct as of 18 November 2024, after the match against  Portugal.
Source: Croatian Football Federation

Pre-independence
Opponent	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Bulgaria	1	1	0	0	6	0	+6	100.00
Germany	3	0	0	3	2	12	−10	000.00
Hungary	3	0	2	1	2	3	−1	000.00
Indonesia	1	1	0	0	5	2	+3	100.00
Italy	1	0	0	1	0	4	−4	000.00
Romania	1	0	1	0	2	2	+0	000.00
Slovakia	7	6	1	0	25	9	+16	085.71
Switzerland	3	2	0	1	5	1	+4	066.67
Total: 8 teams played	20	10	4	6	47	33	+14	050.00

Post-independence
Opponent	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %	Confederation
Albania	1	0	1	0	2	2	+0	000.00	UEFA
Andorra	6	6	0	0	24	0	+24	100.00	UEFA
Argentina	6	2	1	3	7	8	−1	033.33	CONMEBOL
Armenia	3	2	1	0	3	1	+2	066.67	UEFA
Australia	6	2	2	2	11	6	+5	033.33	AFC
Austria	7	6	0	1	12	6	+6	085.71	UEFA
Azerbaijan	4	2	2	0	9	2	+7	050.00	UEFA
Belarus	2	2	0	0	4	1	+3	100.00	UEFA
Belgium	9	3	3	3	9	6	+3	033.33	UEFA
Bosnia and Herzegovina	4	4	0	0	14	6	+8	100.00	UEFA
Brazil	5	0	2	3	3	8	−5	000.00	CONMEBOL
Bulgaria	8	5	2	1	12	6	+6	062.50	UEFA
Cameroon	1	1	0	0	4	0	+4	100.00	CAF
Canada	1	1	0	0	4	1	+3	100.00	CONCACAF
Chile	1	0	1	0	1	1	+0	000.00	CONMEBOL
China	1	0	1	0	1	1	+0	000.00	AFC
Cyprus	3	3	0	0	6	0	+6	100.00	UEFA
Czech Republic	4	1	3	0	8	6	+2	025.00	UEFA
Denmark	8	4	2	2	11	8	+3	050.00	UEFA
Ecuador	1	0	0	1	0	1	−1	000.00	CONMEBOL
Egypt	2	1	1	0	6	4	+2	050.00	CAF
England	11	3	2	6	13	22	−9	027.27	UEFA
Estonia	9	6	2	1	16	5	+11	066.67	UEFA
Finland	2	1	1	0	2	1	+1	050.00	UEFA
France	10	1	3	6	10	20	−10	010.00	UEFA
Georgia	3	2	0	1	4	3	+1	066.67	UEFA
Germany	5	2	1	2	8	6	+2	040.00	UEFA
Gibraltar	1	1	0	0	4	0	+4	100.00	UEFA
Greece	8	2	4	2	10	9	+1	025.00	UEFA
Hong Kong	1	1	0	0	4	0	+4	100.00	AFC
Hungary	9	4	4	1	17	7	+10	044.44	UEFA
Iceland	7	5	1	1	13	3	+10	071.43	UEFA
Iran	2	1	1	0	4	2	+2	050.00	AFC
Israel	9	8	1	0	22	8	+14	088.89	UEFA
Italy	9	3	6	0	11	7	+4	033.33	UEFA
Jamaica	1	1	0	0	3	1	+2	100.00	CONCACAF
Japan	4	1	2	1	5	5	+0	025.00	AFC
Jordan	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1	100.00	AFC
Kazakhstan	2	2	0	0	5	1	+4	100.00	UEFA
Kosovo	2	2	0	0	7	0	+7	100.00	UEFA
Latvia	6	6	0	0	17	1	+16	100.00	UEFA
Liechtenstein	2	2	0	0	8	2	+6	100.00	UEFA
Lithuania	2	1	1	0	2	0	+2	050.00	UEFA
Mali	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1	100.00	CAF
Malta	10	9	1	0	29	5	+24	090.00	UEFA
Mexico	6	4	0	2	9	6	+3	066.67	CONCACAF
Moldova	2	2	0	0	2	0	+2	100.00	UEFA
Morocco	3	1	2	0	4	3	+1	033.33	CAF
Netherlands	3	2	0	1	6	6	+0	066.67	UEFA
Nigeria	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	100.00	CAF
North Macedonia	9	6	2	1	15	9	+6	066.67	UEFA
Northern Ireland	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	100.00	UEFA
Norway	5	3	1	1	10	6	+4	060.00	UEFA
Peru	1	0	0	1	0	2	−2	000.00	CONMEBOL
Poland	7	4	2	1	11	6	+5	057.14	UEFA
Portugal	10	1	2	7	8	19	−11	010.00	UEFA
Qatar	1	1	0	0	3	2	+1	100.00	AFC
Republic of Ireland	7	2	3	2	8	8	+0	028.57	UEFA
Romania	3	3	0	0	4	1	+3	100.00	UEFA
Russia	6	2	4	0	6	3	+3	033.33	UEFA
San Marino	3	3	0	0	18	0	+18	100.00	UEFA
Saudi Arabia	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1	100.00	AFC
Scotland	8	2	3	3	7	8	−1	025.00	UEFA
Senegal	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1	100.00	CAF
Serbia	4	1	3	0	5	3	+2	025.00	UEFA
Slovakia	10	5	3	2	18	11	+7	050.00	UEFA
Slovenia	12	7	4	1	20	10	+10	058.33	UEFA
South Korea	7	3	2	2	11	7	+4	042.86	AFC
Spain	11	3	2	6	12	23	−11	027.27	UEFA
Sweden	6	4	0	2	8	7	+1	066.67	UEFA
Switzerland	4	1	2	1	6	7	−1	025.00	UEFA
Tunisia	2	0	1	1	1	2	−1	000.00	CAF
Turkey	12	4	6	2	15	10	+5	033.33	UEFA
Ukraine	9	5	3	1	15	5	+10	055.56	UEFA
United States	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1	100.00	CONCACAF
Wales	8	4	3	1	12	7	+5	050.00	UEFA
Total: 76 teams played	364	189	100	75	613	357	+256	051.92	Confederation

FIFA ranking history

The following is a chart of yearly averages of Croatia's FIFA World Ranking. Upon admission to FIFA in 1994, Croatia entered the World Ranking at 125th. Their debut World Cup campaign, during 1998, propelled Croatia to third place after the tournament, marking the fastest, most volatile ascension in FIFA ranking history. It hit a then-record Elo rating of 2,006 points in July 1998 and maintained third place until February 1999. The national team recorded its highest Elo rating in June 2023 with 2,012 points. With an average Elo rating of 1,877 points, Croatia maintains the sixth-highest average rating in the world. They are one of three teams—along with Colombia and France—to be named FIFA Best Mover of the Year more than once, winning the award in 1994 and 1998.

Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.

Honours

Major competitions

• FIFA World Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2018
  • Third place (2): 1998, 2022
• UEFA Nations League
  • Runners-up (1): 2023

Friendly

• FIFA Series: Egypt
  • Champions (1): 2024
• Korea Cup
  • Champions (1): 1999
• Hassan II Trophy
  • Champions (1): 1996

Awards

• FIFA Best Mover of the Year
  • First place (2): 1994, 1998

Summary

Competition				Total
FIFA World Cup	0	1	2	3
UEFA European Championship	0	0	0	0
UEFA Nations League	0	1	0	1
Total	0	2	2	4

See also

• Croatia national football B team
• Croatia national under-23 football team
• Croatia national under-21 football team
• Croatia national under-20 football team
• Croatia national under-19 football team
• Croatia national under-18 football team
• Croatia national under-17 football team
• Croatia national under-16 football team
• Croatia national under-15 football team
• Croatia women's national football team
• Croatia women's national under-19 football team
• Croatia women's national under-17 football team
• Croatia women's national under-15 football team

Notes

1. A portion of this squad (Jarni, Štimac, Boban, Prosinečki and Šuker) previously won the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship with the Yugoslavia under-20 team.
2. Under the rules of Association football and the official European Championship tournament regulations, a loss inflicted via a penalty shootout does not count as a defeat but rather a tie which needed a final process to determine the team which advances per the Laws of the Game.
3. A free kick was awarded to France for a possible dive by Antoine Griezmann as well as penalty later in the game awarded by the video assistant referee (VAR) for a handball by Ivan Perišić.
4. The mass gathering amounted to over 10% of the nation's population. With 550,000 Croatians present, the event constituted the second-largest gathering in modern Croatia.
5. In September 1994, national team manager Miroslav Blažević, who was also coaching Croatia Zagreb at the time, was dismissed in a 1994–95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup match against Auxerre. Blažević was suspended by UEFA for one game and Ivić was appointed as his replacement for the qualifying match against Italy in November 1994 for UEFA Euro 1996.
6. Additional matches are scheduled to be played in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup, however they are not considered to be official hosts of the tournament.
7. Includes the records against the no longer active FR Yugoslavia national team, whose successor is considered by UEFA and FIFA to be Serbia national team.

References

1. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
2. Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 16 December 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
3. Rogić, Marijan (2008). Hrvatsko nogometno predstavništvo 1940. - 2008 (in Croatian). Zagreb: Gipa. ISBN 9789539529718.
4. Sengupta, Arjun (10 December 2022). "The improbable rise of the Croatian football team". The Indian Express. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
5. "Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija kroz povijest" (in Croatian). Uvijek Vjerni. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2008. Translation
6. ^ Kramarsic, Igor/Puric, Bojan. "Croatia International matches". Rec. Sport Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 14 July 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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Further reading

• Ramet. P, Sabrina (2005). Thinking about Yugoslavia. Cambridge University. ISBN 0-521-85151-3.
• Klemenčić, Mladen (2004). Nogometni leksikon. Miroslav Krleža lexicographic institute. ISBN 953-6036-84-3.
• Foster, Jane (2004). Footprint Croatia. Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 1-903471-79-6.
• Bellamy. J, Alex (2003). The Formation of Croatian National Identity. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-7190-6502-X.
• Giulianotti, Richard (1997). Entering the Field: New Perspectives on World Football. Berg Publishers. ISBN 1-85973-198-8.

External links

• Official website (in Croatian and English)
• Croatia at UEFA
• Croatia at FIFA
• Croatia – Player statistics at RSSSF (Last updated 22 September 2022)

Links to related articles

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Scotland Switzerland Group B Bulgaria Romania Group C Italy Russia Group D Denmark Turkey v t e 1998 FIFA World Cup finalists Champions  France Runners-up  Brazil Third place  Croatia Fourth place  Netherlands Quarter-finals  Argentina  Denmark  Germany  Italy Round of 16  Chile  England  Mexico  Nigeria  Norway  Paraguay  Romania  FR Yugoslavia Group stage  Austria  Belgium  Bulgaria  Cameroon  Colombia  Iran  Jamaica  Japan  Morocco  Saudi Arabia  Scotland  South Africa  South Korea  Spain  Tunisia  United States v t e 2002 FIFA World Cup finalists Champions  Brazil Runners-up  Germany Third place  Turkey Fourth place  South Korea Quarter-finals  England  Senegal  Spain  United States Round of 16  Belgium  Denmark  Italy  Japan  Mexico  Paraguay  Republic of Ireland  Sweden Group stage  Argentina  Cameroon  China  Costa Rica  Croatia  Ecuador  France  Nigeria  Poland  Portugal  Russia  Saudi Arabia  Slovenia  South Africa  Tunisia  Uruguay v t e UEFA Euro 2004 finalists Champions Greece Runners-up Portugal Eliminated in the semi-finals Czech Republic Netherlands Eliminated in the quarter-finals Denmark England France Sweden Eliminated in the group stage Group A Russia Spain Group B Croatia Switzerland Group C Bulgaria Italy Group D Germany Latvia v t e 2006 FIFA World Cup finalists Champions  Italy Runners-up  France Third place  Germany Fourth place  Portugal Quarter-finals  Argentina  Brazil  England  Ukraine Round of 16  Australia  Ecuador  Ghana  Mexico  Netherlands  Spain  Sweden   Switzerland Group stage  Angola  Costa Rica  Croatia  Czech Republic  Iran  Ivory Coast  Japan  Paraguay  Poland  Saudi Arabia  Serbia and Montenegro  South Korea  Togo  Trinidad and Tobago  Tunisia  United States v t e UEFA Euro 2008 finalists Champions Spain Runners-up Germany Eliminated in the semi-finals Russia Turkey Eliminated in the quarter-finals Croatia Italy Netherlands Portugal Eliminated in the group stage Group A Czech Republic Switzerland Group B Austria Poland Group C France Romania Group D Greece Sweden v t e UEFA Euro 2012 finalists Champions Spain Runners-up Italy Eliminated in the semi-finals Germany Portugal Eliminated in the quarter-finals Czech Republic England France Greece Eliminated in the group stage Group A Poland Russia Group B Denmark Netherlands Group C Croatia Republic of Ireland Group D Sweden Ukraine v t e 2014 FIFA World Cup finalists Champions  Germany Runners-up  Argentina Third place  Netherlands Fourth place  Brazil Quarter-finals  Belgium  Colombia  Costa Rica  France Round of 16  Algeria  Chile  Greece  Mexico  Nigeria   Switzerland  United States  Uruguay Group stage  Australia  Bosnia and Herzegovina  Cameroon  Croatia  Ecuador  England  Ghana  Honduras  Iran  Italy  Ivory Coast  Japan  Portugal  Russia  South Korea  Spain v t e UEFA Euro 2016 finalists Champions Portugal Runners-up France Eliminated in the semi-finals Germany Wales Eliminated in the quarter-finals Belgium Iceland Italy Poland Eliminated in the round of 16 Croatia England Hungary Northern Ireland Republic of Ireland Slovakia Spain Switzerland Eliminated in the group stage Group A Albania Romania Group B Russia Group C Ukraine Group D Czech Republic Turkey Group E Sweden Group F Austria v t e 2018 FIFA World Cup finalists Champions  France Runners-up  Croatia Third place  Belgium Fourth place  England Quarter-finals  Brazil  Russia  Sweden  Uruguay Round of 16  Argentina  Colombia  Denmark  Japan  Mexico  Portugal  Spain   Switzerland Group stage  Australia  Costa Rica  Egypt  Germany  Iceland  Iran  Morocco  Nigeria  Panama  Peru  Poland  Saudi Arabia  Senegal  Serbia  South Korea  Tunisia v t e UEFA Euro 2020 finalists Champions Italy Runners-up England Eliminated in the semi-finals Denmark Spain Eliminated in the quarter-finals Belgium Czech Republic Switzerland Ukraine Eliminated in the round of 16 Austria Croatia France Germany Netherlands Portugal Sweden Wales Eliminated in the group stage Group A Turkey Group B Finland Russia Group C North Macedonia Group D Scotland Group E Poland Slovakia Group F Hungary v t e 2022 FIFA World Cup finalists Champions  Argentina Runners-up  France Third place  Croatia Fourth place  Morocco Quarter-finals  Brazil  England  Portugal  Netherlands Round of 16  United States  Australia  Japan  Poland  South Korea  Spain   Switzerland  Senegal Group stage  Belgium  Cameroon  Canada  Costa Rica  Denmark  Ecuador  Germany  Ghana  Iran  Mexico  Qatar  Saudi Arabia  Serbia  Tunisia  Uruguay  Wales v t e Football in Croatia Croatian Football Federation (HNS) National teams Men's: A B U23 U21 U20 U19 U18 U17 U16 U15 Women's: A U19 U17 League system Men's: HNL 1. NL 2. NL 3. NL 1. ŽNL 2. ŽNL Women's: 1. HNLŽ 2. HNLŽ Domestic cups Men's: Cup Super Cup Women's: Cup Seasons 1992 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 Records List of clubs List of venues International players Men Women v t e National football teams of Europe (UEFA) Active Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark England Estonia Faroe Islands Finland France Georgia Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Iceland Israel Italy Kazakhstan Kosovo Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Northern Ireland Norway Poland Portugal Republic of Ireland Romania Russia San Marino Scotland Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Wales Defunct Czechoslovakia East Germany Ireland (1882–1950) Saarland Soviet Union (CIS) Yugoslavia (FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro) v t e National sports teams of Croatia Alpine ski Badminton Baseball Basketball M M-U20 M-U18 M-U16 M 3x3 W W-U20 W-U18 W-U16 Beach handball M W Cricket M W Field hockey M W Football M M-B M-U23 M-U21 M-U20 M-U19 M-U18 M-U17 M-U16 M-U15 W W-U19 W-U17 W-U15 Futsal M M-U19 W Handball M M-J M-Y W W-J W-Y Ice hockey M M-U20 M-U18 W Lacrosse Rugby Union M M7 W W7 Softball Speedway M M U/21 M U/19 Tennis M W X Volleyball M M U/21 Para volleyball W W U/23 W U/21 W U/19 Water polo M W Wheelchair handball Olympics Youth Paralympics European Games Mediterranean Games