The Croatia national football team ( hr, Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija) represents
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
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
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
in Europe and
FIFA in global competitions. The team's colors reference two national symbols: the
Croatian checkerboard and the
country's tricolour. They are colloquially referred to as the ('Blazers') and ('Checkered Ones').
Since 1994, the have qualified for every major tournament with the exception of
Euro 2000
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, also known as Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Championship, a football tournament held every four years and organised by UEFA, the sport's governing body in Europe.
The finals tournament was ...
and the
2010 World Cup. At the
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
, Croatia has finished second once (
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
) and third on two occasions (
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
,
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
), securing three World Cup medals.
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker (; born 1 January 1968) is a Croatian football administrator and former footballer who played as a striker. He served as president of the Croatian Football Federation from 2012 to 2021. He began his footballing career in his hometo ...
won the
Golden Shoe and the
Silver Ball in 1998, while
Luka Modrić
Luka Modrić (; born 9 September 1985) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid and captains the Croatia national team. He plays mainly as a central midfielder, but can also play as an a ...
won the
Golden Ball in 2018 and the
Bronze Ball in 2022. The team has reached the quarter-finals of the
UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA). The competition is conte ...
twice (
1996,
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
) and is set to contest the semi-finals of the
UEFA Nations League in
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
. In July 1998, Croatia recorded its highest-ever
Elo rating of 2,006 points.
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 occupy the Top 10 of the
World Ranking. It is second-smallest country by population (after
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
) and land mass (after the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
) to reach a
World Cup Final. At the World Cup, Croatia
holds records for most
penalty shoot-outs played (2) and won (2) and most
penalties saved in a shoot-out (3), among other
team records. They were named
FIFA Best Mover of the Year twice (1994, 1998) equalling joint records with
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and
Colombia. Croatia maintains sporting
rivalries with Italy and
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
, among other nations, which have led to disruptive matches.
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.
[ '']Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...
'' In 1940, Jozo Jakopić led an unofficial national side representing the Yugoslav
Banovina of Croatia in four friendly matches against
Switzerland and
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
.
Following the 1941
Axis
An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis
* Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
invasion of Yugoslavia,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
took control of Croatia, forming the
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was established in p ...
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
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
[ '']Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...
'' In 1945, Croatia returned to Yugoslavia as the
People's Republic of Croatia
The Socialist Republic of Croatia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Hrvatska, Социјалистичка Република Хрватска), or SR Croatia, was a constituent republic and federated state of the Sociali ...
with sides active until 1956.
State authorities organised the
Yugoslav Football Tournament in September 1945 to commemorate the end of World War II, where Croatia finished third behind the
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska ar ...
and
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
.
Croatia's
only game as a constituent republic was a 5–2 win against
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
in 1956.
During the nation's pre-independence,
Croat
The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, Ge ...
footballers played for
Yugoslavia at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Athletes from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. 35 competitors, 32 men and 3 women, took part in 16 events in 8 sports.
Medalists
...
, the
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
, and the
UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA). The competition is conte ...
until
1990.
On 16 May 1991, three days before Croatia held an
independence referendum
An independence referendum is a type of referendum in which the residents of a territory decide whether the territory should become an independent sovereign state. An independence referendum that results in a vote for independence does not alwa ...
, the last Yugoslav team to field Croatian players played the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
. Croatia made its
unofficial international debut as an independent country against the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
on 17 October 1990, winning 2–1, where they introduced the modern checkered jersey.
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
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
in December 1990 and
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
in June 1991.
Stanko Poklepović took over management of the team and led them on an exhibition tour against
Australia, before he was succeeded by
Vlatko Marković
Vladimir "Vlatko" Marković (; 1 January 1937 – 23 September 2013) was a Croatian professional football manager and player who served as the president of the Croatian Football Federation from 1998 to 2012.
Playing career Club
He played for: ...
in April 1993. Croatia gained admission into UEFA in June 1993, three months after
qualification
Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to:
* Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...
for the
1994 World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national soccer teams. It was hosted by the United States and took place from June 17 to July 17, 1994, at nine venues across the country. The United States w ...
started, missing their window to enter the competition. After winning a match against
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
in June 1993, Marković was succeeded by
Miroslav Blažević in March 1994.
Blažević period (1994–1999)
After its
break-away from Yugoslavia, the newly-formed Croatia entered the
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA Men's World Ranking is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, led by Brazil . The teams of the men's member nations of FIFA, football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the ...
in 125th place in March 1994.
[ ] Blažević launched Croatia's
qualifying campaign for
Euro 1996 with a 2–0 win over
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
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 rank 62, winning FIFA's 1994
Best Mover of the Year in December 1994. In the
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
of Euro 1996,
Goran Vlaović scored the team's first goal at a tournament, a late strike to win 1–0 against
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
. Croatia then beat
reigning champions Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
3–0, later losing to
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
by the same scoreline. The team advanced to the
knockout stage and were beaten in the
quarter-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
1–2 by
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Croatia's
qualifying campaign from 1998 to 1999 for
Euro 2000
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, also known as Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Championship, a football tournament held every four years and organised by UEFA, the sport's governing body in Europe.
The finals tournament was ...
was unsuccessful as they finished third in their group behind
FR Yugoslavia
Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yug ...
and the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
. Both fixtures against FR 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
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
. In the
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
, Croatia beat both
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
and
Japan, later losing to
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
to advance with them to the
knockout stage. A 1–0 victory over Romania moved the Croatians to the
quarter-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
against Germany. Croatia beat the Germans 3–0 with goals from
Robert Jarni, Goran Vlaović and
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker (; born 1 January 1968) is a Croatian football administrator and former footballer who played as a striker. He served as president of the Croatian Football Federation from 2012 to 2021. He began his footballing career in his hometo ...
, all after
Christian Wörns had been sent off. They advanced to their first
semi-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
against the hosts
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. After a goalless first-half, Croatia led after
Aljoša Asanović
Aljoša Asanović (born 14 December 1965) is a former Croatian professional footballer who played as a midfielder from 1984 to 2002. He was one of the best players in the Yugoslav First League, emerging as one of five top scorers during the 1989� ...
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
A third place match, game for third place, bronze medal game or consolation game is a single match that is included in many sporting knockout tournaments to decide which competitor or team will be credited with finishing third and fourth. The tea ...
, Croatia prevailed against the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
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
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial football world championship for men's national teams organized by FIFA. It was held from 31 May to 30 June 2002 at sites in South Korea an ...
with draws against
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
and
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
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
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
, Croatia narrowly lost to
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
before beating
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
2–1 and sustaining a 1–0 loss to
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...
. 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
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (a ...
. 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
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2004, was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football competition contested by the men's national teams of UEFA member associations. The ...
. Croatia qualified in a
playoff
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
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
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
after drawing 0–0 with Switzerland and 2–2 with France, and losing 2–4 to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Barić departed after his two-year contract expired in June 2004.
Prior to launching the team's
qualification
Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to:
* Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...
for the
2006 World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
,
Zlatko Kranjčar
Zlatko "Cico" Kranjčar (; 15 November 1956 – 1 March 2021) was a Croatian professional football manager and player.
Kranjčar started his career as a player with Dinamo Zagreb where he won the Yugoslav First League in 1981–82, then Yugosl ...
succeed Barić in July 2004. Croatia qualified undefeated, topping the group ahead of
Sweden and
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
. Kranjčar selected his son,
Niko Niko may refer to:
People
The given name is sometimes a short form of Nikola, Nikolas, Nikolaos or others.
* Nikō (1253–1314), Japanese Buddhist disciple of Nichiren
* Niko (musician), American musician active from 2002
* NiKo (born 199 ...
, for the national squad, leading local media outlets to accuse him of
nepotism. In the
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
, Croatia lost their opening game to
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
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. The game included a mistake by referee
Graham Poll
Graham Poll (born 29 July 1963) is an English former football referee in the Premier League. With 26 years of experience, he was one of the most prominent referees in English football, often taking charge of the highest-profile games. His final ...
who gave three
yellow cards
Yellow card may refer to:
* Yellow card (sport), shown in many sports after a rules infraction or, by analogy, a serious warning in other areas
* Yellowcard, an American alternative rock band
* Yellow Card Scheme, a United Kingdom initiative conce ...
to Croatian defender
Josip Šimunić
Josip "Joe" Šimunić (; born 18 February 1978) is a Croatian retired footballer and current manager of the Croatia national under-19 team.
Born in Australia to Bosnian Croat parents, Šimunić started his career at Melbourne Knights then mov ...
, mistaking him for an Australian player due to his
Australian accent
Australian English (AuE) is a non-rhotic variety of English spoken by most native-born Australians. Phonologically, it is one of the most regionally homogeneous language varieties in the world. Australian English is notable for vowel length contr ...
.
Bilić period (2006–2012)
In July 2006, prior to
Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of Europea ...
, Kranjčar was replaced with
Slaven Bilić
Slaven Bilić (; born 11 September 1968) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player. He is the current manager of EFL Championship side Watford.
Bilić, who played as a defender, began his career in 1988 with his hometown c ...
, 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
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
.
Eduardo da Silva
Eduardo Alves da Silva (, ; born 25 February 1983), commonly known as Eduardo and sometimes nicknamed Dudu, is a former professional footballer. Capable of playing any forward position, he started as a striker, but was deployed mostly as a ...
, 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
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
undefeated with a 1–0 win over co-hosts
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, 2–1 win over Germany, and 1–0 win over
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
. The team collected the maximum group stage points possible (9) for the first time in
their Euros history.
Niko Kovač and
Dario Šimić
Dario Šimić (; born 12 November 1975) is a Croatian former footballer. Šimić was a versatile defender who played as full-back, sweeper or centre back; a physical and hard-tackling defender, he was known in particular for his strength and a ...
held captaincy during the group and knockout stages, respectively. Croatia pushed Turkey to a
penalty shoot-out
The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
in the
quarter-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
in which the Turkish side prevailed in an upset win where
Luka Modrić
Luka Modrić (; born 9 September 1985) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid and captains the Croatia national team. He plays mainly as a central midfielder, but can also play as an a ...
,
Mladen Petrić and
Ivan Rakitić
Ivan Rakitić (; born 10 March 1988) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a central or attacking midfielder for La Liga club Sevilla.
Rakitić started his professional career at Basel and spent two seasons with them before he was s ...
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
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
, before taking a 4–1 loss to England at
Stadion Maksimir
Maksimir Stadium ( hr, Stadion Maksimir, ) is a multi-use stadium in Zagreb, Croatia. It takes its name from the surrounding neighbourhood of Maksimir. The venue is primarily the home of Dinamo Zagreb, the top club of the country with 23 le ...
, their first home loss in 14 years.
The team drew 0–0 with Ukraine and beat
Andorra
, image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg
, symbol_type = Coat of arms
, national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...
twice, drawing again with Ukraine and beating
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
twice. In the final stretch of the qualifiers, England delivered Croatia's then-heaviest loss, a 5–1 scoreline, at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The 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
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
which would have resulted in automatic qualification for both countries; UEFA ultimately selected
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
and
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. The Croatians began their
qualifying campaign for
Euro 2012 with a 3–0 win over
Latvia, a goalless draw with
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
, and a 2–1 win against
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. 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
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, opening with a 3–1 victory over the Irish. Croatia drew the match with Italy 1–1 in an
Adriatic Derby that was 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 announced his resignation plans before
Euro 2012 and, upon his departure, ''
Jutarnji list'' credited him with a "strong revival" of the national side during his six-years. During Bilić's tenure, from 2007 to 2012, the Croatians continuously ranked among the top ten teams in the world on the FIFA Ranking.
Štimac, Kovač and Čačić period (2012–2017)
Succeeding Bilić, former player
Igor Štimac
Igor Štimac (; born 6 September 1967) is a Croatian football coach and former player who played as a centre back. He is the current head coach of the Indian national team.
In his playing career, Štimac had three spells with Hajduk Split and ...
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
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
in the
qualifying playoffs for the
2014 World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...
with both goals coming in the home leg in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
. In the
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
, Croatia opend 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
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
then lost 3–1 to Mexico, finishing third in the group and not advancing to the
knockout stage.
During the
qualifying campaign of
Euro 2016, Croatia drew with
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
and lost to
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
, 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
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
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
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. In the latter match, Croatia took the lead with goals from
Ivan Perišić
Ivan Perišić (; born 2 February 1989) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Croatia national team. Usually deployed as a winger, he has also featured as an attacking midfielder, se ...
and Ivan Rakitić, while opposing Czech striker
Milan Škoda and a last-minute penalty from
Tomáš Necid
Tomáš Necid (; born 13 August 1989) is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bohemians 1905.
He is the older brother of Simona Necidová, who is also an international footballer.
Club career
Early years
Necid played h ...
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
Ricardo Andrade Quaresma Bernardo (; born 26 September 1983) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a winger.
He began his career at Sporting CP and went on to play for Barcelona, Inter Milan, Porto (twice), Chelsea, Beşiktaş ...
's winning goal in the 117th minute after Perišić hit the post with a header in the previous attack. It was an "abysmal...turgid affair" between the two sides, according to
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside flag ...
. 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
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
undefeated for their first five matches. Two defeats to Iceland and Turkey, as well as a draw against
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
, 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
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
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
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, 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
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
, Croatia drew 2–2 with hosts
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
, becoming the first team since 1990 to win two consecutive penalty shoot-outs. Playing England in the
semi-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
, Croatia equalized to force their third consecutive extra time, matching the tournament record.
Mario Mandžukić
Mario Mandžukić (; born 21 May 1986) is a Croatian football coach and a former player who is an assistant coach of the Croatia national team. As a player, he played as a forward and became known for his aggressiveness, defensive contribution ...
and Perišić scored as Croatia won 2–1 making them the second-smallest country by population (after
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
) and land mass (after the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
) to reach a
World Cup Final. In the
2018 World Cup Final they lost to France 4–2, finishing second-place and securing the silver medal. The match was controversial for its refereeing. Luka Modrić became the first Croatian to win the
Golden Ball. 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 single victory against Sweden was sufficient to avoid relegation to
League B.
The team topped
their group for the qualifying campaign of
Euro 2020, with a loss to Hungary, and draws against Azerbaijan and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. The 2020 finals were
delayed into 2021 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. Overall, winning only two out of eight games in 2020, Croatia achieved their worst aggregate win-rate in their history. Croatia finished second in
their Euros group, with a 1–0 loss to England, a 1–1 tie with the Czech Republic and a 3–1 win over Scotland. They advanced to the
round of 16
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
, 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
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022; it is the first ...
with one loss, two draws and seven wins. The team advanced from
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
after a 0–0 draw with
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
, a 4–1 win with
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, 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
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
where
Dominik Livaković saved three of four Japanese penalties, equalling a record held by
Ricardo
Ricardo is the Spanish and Portuguese cognate of the name Richard. It derived from Proto-Germanic ''*rīks'' 'king, ruler' + ''*harduz'' 'hard, brave'. It may be a given name, or a surname.
People Given name
*Ricardo de Araújo Pereira, Portugu ...
and Danijel Subašić. Croatia similarly beat Brazil during the
quarter-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
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
A third place match, game for third place, bronze medal game or consolation game is a single match that is included in many sporting knockout tournaments to decide which competitor or team will be credited with finishing third and fourth. The tea ...
, 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 sits among the top four nations in the competition and is set to contest the
semi-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
on 14–15 June 2023.
Image
Kits
Croatia's modern-day team jersey was created in 1990 by
Miroslav Šutej
Miroslav Šutej (29 April 1936 – 13 May 2005) was a Croatian avant-garde painter and graphic artist.
Šutej was born in Duga Resa in 1936. He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb and was an associate in Krsto Hegedušić's maste ...
who also designed the
nation's flag,
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
and first
currency
A currency, "in circulation", from la, currens, -entis, literally meaning "running" or "traversing" is a standardization of money in any form, in use or circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins.
A more general ...
. The red-and-white motif is based on the
Croatian checkerboard ().
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.
Away kits used by the team have for a period been all-blue, incorporating the red-and-white checkers as a trim. Croatia has moved to using darker away kits such as the dark navy-and-black checkered design that featured prominently in the
2018 World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
campaign. The have been required to use their darker away kits when playing at home when opponents have red-and-white jerseys that clash with the checkers of Croatia.
Supporters
The team has developed an extensive fan base since its unofficial formation in 1990. 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
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
through the
cultural export of Croatian football. The government's influence on team affairs eased substantially after the death of
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Franjo Tuđman in 1999. All matches are followed and televised throughout the country, particularly during tournament. 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 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
, the
Croatian Cabinet attended ministerial meetings in team jerseys, and during the
2022 World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022; it is the first ...
,
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Andrej Plenković
Andrej Plenković ( ; born 8 April 1970) is a Croatian politician who has been serving as the prime minister of Croatia since 19 October 2016. He was previously one of eleven Croatian members of the European Parliament, serving from Croatia's ...
delivered a hurried speech "
astingonly 37 seconds" at the
Euro-Mediterranean Summit to catch the quarter-finals.
A part of the team's support consists of fans of
Dinamo Zagreb
Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb ( en, Dinamo Zagreb Citizens' Football Club, link=yes, italics=yes), commonly referred to as GNK Dinamo Zagreb or simply Dinamo Zagreb (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. Dinamo ...
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
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
and
Torcida from
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, entertai ...
—have been associated with
hooliganism
Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, usually in connection with crowds at sporting events.
Etymology
There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''hooliganism,'' which is a d ...
due to their
ultra
adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by breaking high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park. ' ...
-style support, though violence between them does not occur at international matches. Other ultras groups are
Armada Rijeka,
Kohorta Osijek, Ultras
Vinkovci,
Tornado Zadar, Funcuti
Šibenik
Šibenik () is a historic city in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is a political, educational, transport, industrial and tourist center of Šibenik-Knin County, and is also the ...
and Demoni
Pula. Support for the team also comes from
Croats of Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly from fans of
Zrinjski Mostar and
Široki Brijeg. There are also
Croatian communities in
Australia, North America and South America that follow the team. The team's fanbase is known for their use of pyrotechnics, fireworks, and flares at matches and while celebrating. During the
qualifiers of
Euro 2016, Croatian fans disrupted matches against
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
and the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
by throwing flares from the stadium onto the field.
Among supporters, it is customary to include an inscription of their city of origin onto the Croatian flag to indicate where they are from. 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''). When the team wins, supporters might chant "Bježite ljudi, bježite iz grada" (''Run away people, run away from the city'') which is a song praising the presence of Croatian fans. The Croatian Football Federation endorses an official fan club for the team, known as ''Uvijek Vjerni'' (''Always Faithful''). In addition to chants, the team receives support from various local musicians, who release songs dedicated to them. Former manager
Slaven Bilić
Slaven Bilić (; born 11 September 1968) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player. He is the current manager of EFL Championship side Watford.
Bilić, who played as a defender, began his career in 1988 with his hometown c ...
and his
rock band released a single, "Vatreno ludilo" (''Fiery Madness''), which reached the top position on Croatian music charts during
Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of Europea ...
. Other Croatian artists such as
Baruni, Connect,
Dino Dvornik
Dino Dvornik (; 20 August 1964 – 7 September 2008) was a Croatian singer-songwriter, music producer, actor and reality television star known as "the Croatian king of funk".
Biography
Early life
A son of renowned actor Boris Dvornik and mothe ...
,
Gibonni,
Prljavo kazalište,
Colonia,
Stoka, Nered and
Thompson have also recorded songs mentioning the team. Some of those having been used among supporters are "Moja domovina" (''My Homeland''), "Srce vatreno" (''Fiery Heart''), "Hrvatska je prvak svijeta" (''Croatia Are World Champions'') and "Malo nas je, al' nas ima" (''We Are Few, But We Exist''). Most popular among the fans and played at every home match is "Lijepa li si" (''How Beautiful You Are'') by Thompson and fans sing it themselves during the match. Bad Blue Boys supporters from
Zaprešić
Zaprešić () is a town in Hrvatsko zagorje, Zagreb County in Croatia. It has a population of 19,644 inhabitants in the town proper, with 25,223 in the administrative area. The town's metropolitan area, which encompasses the seven neighbouring m ...
made their band Zaprešić Boys and made some songs for each tournament like "Samo je jedno" (''Only One Thing''), "U pobjedi i porazu" (''In Victory and Defeat'') "Neopisivo" (''Indescribable''), "Igraj moja Hrvatska" (''Play, My Croatia''), with the latter being an unofficial anthem during the 2018 World Cup.
Fans' behaviour, hooliganism, and
ultra
adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by breaking high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park. ' ...
-style rioting during matches has led to sanctions both domestically and internationally. The football federation,
Croatian government
The Government of Croatia ( hr, Vlada Hrvatske), formally the Government of the Republic of Croatia ( hr, Vlada Republike Hrvatske), commonly abbreviated to Croatian Government ( hr, hrvatska Vlada), is the main executive branch of government ...
, and players have made 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. Certain disruptive behaviour is centered on
ethno-nationalist
Ethnic nationalism, also known as ethnonationalism, is a form of nationalism wherein the nation and nationality are defined in terms of ethnicity, with emphasis on an ethnocentric (and in some cases an ethnocratic) approach to various politi ...
racism
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonis ...
and
fascism
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...
stemming from the
dissolution of Yugoslavia
The breakup of Yugoslavia occurred as a result of a series of political upheavals and conflicts during the early 1990s. After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
.
The Croatian Football Federation has been fined
£14,920 for fans' racist taunts against English striker
Emile Heskey
Emile William Ivanhoe Heskey (born 11 January 1978) is an English former professional footballer who currently serves as head of football development of Leicester City Women. Playing as a striker, he made more than 500 appearances in the Foo ...
in 2010, fined
€80,000 for a fan throwing a banana at Italian striker
Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli Barwuah (; ''né'' Barwuah; born 12 August 1990) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Swiss Super League club Sion.
Balotelli started his professional football career in 2005 at Lumezzane, before ...
in 2012, fined €100,000 for inadvertently hosting a match against Italy with a faint
swastika etched into the pitch in 2016, and fined
$53,000 for a crowd of fans'
anti-Serb taunts against Canadian keeper
Milan Borjan in 2022. The team has been fined for similar incidents and received additional sanctions such as having to play matches without fans, including the
October 2018 Nations League game against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. There have also been multiple acts of protest against the national team, in response to allegations of
corruption within the Croatian Football Federation, and other fan disturbances.
Charity
To advance the team's charitable efforts manager
Slaven Bilić
Slaven Bilić (; born 11 September 1968) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player. He is the current manager of EFL Championship side Watford.
Bilić, who played as a defender, began his career in 1988 with his hometown c ...
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
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
's shirt that was signed by all
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Found ...
players. The auction was organized in
Esplanade Zagreb Hotel
The Esplanade Zagreb Hotel is a historic luxury hotel in Zagreb, Croatia. It was built in 1925 to provide accommodation for passengers of the famous Orient Express train, which traveled between Paris and Istanbul.
History
In 1917, an internati ...
and attended by
President of Croatia Ivo Josipović
Ivo Josipović (; born 28 August 1957) is a Croatian academic, jurist, and politician who served as President of Croatia from 2010 to 2015.
Josipović entered politics as a member of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ), and played a key ...
.
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 4,200,000
HRK for fighting the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
and for repair of damage caused by
an earthquake in Zagreb earlier that year.
Stadiums
The majority of Croatia's home matches take place at
Stadion Maksimir
Maksimir Stadium ( hr, Stadion Maksimir, ) is a multi-use stadium in Zagreb, Croatia. It takes its name from the surrounding neighbourhood of Maksimir. The venue is primarily the home of Dinamo Zagreb, the top club of the country with 23 le ...
in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
, which is also the home-ground of local football club
Dinamo Zagreb
Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb ( en, Dinamo Zagreb Citizens' Football Club, link=yes, italics=yes), commonly referred to as GNK Dinamo Zagreb or simply Dinamo Zagreb (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. Dinamo ...
. The venue, built in 1912 and refurbished in 1997, is named after the surrounding neighbourhood of
Maksimir
Maksimir () is one of the districts of Zagreb, Croatia, population 48,902 (2011 census). Maksimir stadium and Maksimir Park are located in it. It was named for Bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac.
The urban center of the Maksimir district is located aro ...
. It was one of two venues for
Euro 1976, hosted by
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
, alongside
Red Star Stadium
The Rajko Mitić Stadium ( sr, / , ), previously known as Red Star Stadium ( sr, / ), also known as Marakana ( sr-Cyrl, Маракана), is a multi-use stadium in Belgrade, Serbia which has been the home ground of Red Star Belgrade since ...
in
Belgrade. It has hosted national team games since Croatia's competitive home debut against
Lithuania.
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
Milan Bandić (22 November 1955 – 28 February 2021) was a Croatian politician and the longest-serving mayor of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Bandić was mayor almost continuously from 2000 to 2021, except during the time between his resignati ...
in 2008 due to construction costs.
Some home matches are occasionally played at other, smaller venues around the country.
Stadion Poljud
Gradski stadion u Poljudu ( en, City Stadium in Poljud), better known as Stadion Poljud ( en, Poljud Stadium) or simply Poljud, is a multi-use stadium in Split, Croatia, which has been the home ground of Hajduk Split football club since 1979. ...
in
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, entertai ...
has hosted some qualifying fixtures since 1995, the first being a 1–1 draw with Italy. 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"). The run was finally ended after the team came from behind to beat
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
on 3 June 2011. Qualifying fixtures have also been played at
Stadion Kantrida in
Rijeka along with
Stadion Gradski Vrt in
Osijek and
Stadion Varteks in
Varaždin
)
, image_photo =
, image_skyline =
, image_flag = Flag of Varaždin.svg
, flag_size =
, image_seal =
, seal_size =
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. These venues are less used due to their more remote locations and smaller seating capacity, with objections from local residents and some players. Since Croatia's
first match in October 1990, they played home games at eleven stadiums around the country. The following table provides a summary of Croatia's results at home venues.
Rivalries
*
Croatia vs. Italy: Matches with
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
are known as the Adriatic Derby (
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
: ''Derby Adriatico'') named after the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
that separates the two nations. Croatia has never lost against Italy, with most fixtures played in qualifications and at tournament. The two sides have competed in the qualifiers and group stages of
Euro 1994,
Euro 2012 and
Euro 2016 with multiple incidences of crowd trouble and flares being thrown onto the pitch. They have only met at the
2002 World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Korea Japan 2002, was the 17th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial football world championship for men's national teams organized by FIFA. It was held from 31 May to 30 June 2002 at sites in South Korea an ...
, in a group stage match where Croatia came from behind to beat Italy 2–1, after two Italian goals were controversially disallowed. This rivalry can be confused with the similarly named
Adriatic derby between Croatian clubs
Hajduk
A hajduk ( hu, hajdúk, plural of ) is a type of irregular infantry found in Central and parts of Southeast Europe from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries. They have reputations ranging from bandits to freedom fighters depending on time, p ...
and
Rijeka.
*
Croatia vs. Serbia: Matches with
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
developed into a formal rivalry following the
Croatian War of Independence. Football games with the two sides are politically-charged and have been known to devolve into crowd trouble with flare disturbances, and fan riots, such as the
1990 Dinamo–Red Star riot in Zagreb. Due to its history and link to national identity, it has been described as one as one of the "fiercest rivalries in the world" by
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
.
Enhanced security protocols and travel restrictions are instated during matches against Serbia.
* Croatia vs. France: Matches with
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
became competitive and evolved into a rivalry during the 1990s. During the
1998 World Cup, France beat Croatia in the semi-finals, eventually winning the tournament while Croatia placed third. The two sides contested the
2018 World Cup Final, where France prevailed again and Croatia took second place. France was undefeated against Croatia until 2022,
when the Croatians shut them out of the
2023 Nations League finals, stripping the French of their championship title.
* Croatia vs. England: Matches with
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
turned into a rivalry in 2006 when the Croatians shut the English out of
Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of Europea ...
. The rivalry intensified in 2008 and 2009 after England beat them 5–1 in London and then 4–0 in Zagreb, delivering Croatia's then-heaviest loss, and ending a 14-year unbeaten home record, respectively.
Croatia knocked them out of the
2018 World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
in the semi-finals, after England's publicized "
It's Coming Home" campaign. The rivalry has been described as "England’s major international rivalry of the 21st Century" by ''
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
.''
Results and fixtures
The following matches have been played within the past 12 months.
Times are
CET
CET or cet may refer to:
Places
* Cet, Albania
* Cet, standard astronomical abbreviation for the constellation Cetus
* Colchester Town railway station (National Rail code CET), in Colchester, England
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Comcast En ...
/
CEST, in accordance with Croatian local time (local times if different, are in parentheses).
2022
2023
Coaching staff
Coaching history
The following table provides a summary of the complete record of each Croatia manager's results in the
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
and
UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA). The competition is conte ...
.
Players
Current squad
The following is the final squad for the
2022 FIFA World Cup.
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up to the squad in the last 12 months and are still eligible for selection.
*
INJ = Injured or ill.
*
WD = Withdrew.
*
SUS = Suspended from participating.
*
RET = Retired after latest call-up.
*
U21 = Joined the
Croatia U21 team instead.
*
PRE = Preliminary squad.
Individual statistics
:''Players in bold are still active with Croatia.''
Most capped players
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 Modrić in 2021.
The youngest player to play for Croatia is
Alen Halilović (aged 16 years, 11 months and 22 days), while the oldest is
Dražen Ladić (37 years, 4 months and 27 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, one month and 19 days).
Most clean sheets
Competitive record
FIFA World Cup
UEFA European Championship
UEFA Nations League
Other
Head-to-head record
;Key
FIFA ranking history
The following is a chart of yearly averages of Croatia's
FIFA World Ranking. Upon admission to FIFA, Croatia was ranked 125th in the world. The 1998 World Cup propelled Croatia to third place after the tournament, marking the
fastest, most volatile ascension in FIFA ranking history.
It held that rank until February 1999. During the 1998 World Cup, Croatia reached its highest-ever
Elo rating of 2,006 points on July 11, 1998.
With an average Elo rating of 1,876 points, Croatia maintains the sixth-highest
average rating in the world. They are one of three teams—along with
Colombia and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
—to be named
FIFA Best Mover of the Year more than once, winning the award in 1994 and 1998.
Honours
Major
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
* Runner-up:
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
* Third place:
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
,
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
UEFA Nations League
*
1st–4th:
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
Minor
Hassan II Trophy
* Champions:
1996
Kirin Soccer Cup
* Runners-up:
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
Korea Cup
* Champions:
1999
Lunar New Year Cup
* Third place:
2006
See also
*
Croatia national under-21 football team
The Croatia national under-21 football team represents Croatia in association football matches for players aged 21 or under.
Competition UEFA U-21 Championship
;Notes
*OFF = Lost in play-offs.
UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2023 UEFA ...
*
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 women's national football team
The Croatia women's national football team represents the Republic of Croatia in international Women's association football, football. The team is managed by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country.
Hist ...
*
Croatia women's national under-19 football team
*
Croatia women's national under-17 football team
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Official website
Croatiaat
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
Croatiaat
FIFA
Croatia – Player statisticsat
RSSSF
The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) is an international organization dedicated to collecting statistics about association football. The foundation aims to build an exhaustive archive of football-related information from around th ...
''(Last updated 22 September 2022)''
{{National sports teams of Croatia
1990 establishments in Croatia
Croatia national football team
European national association football teams
Football in Croatia