The foreign relations between

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

are bound together by shared history, political development, geography, religion and cultural commonalities. With an extensive history between the two states, modern relations commenced in 1992, following the

dissolution of Yugoslavia After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, the constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia split apart in the early 1990s. Unresolved issues from the breakup caused a series of inter-ethnic Yugoslav ...

and the

independence of Croatia The independence of Croatia was a process started with the changes in the political system and the constitutional changes in 1990 that transformed the Socialist Republic of Croatia into the Republic of Croatia, which in turn proclaimed the Chr ...

. Relations are warm and friendly with strong bilateral collaboration. The two nations have connectivity through tourism, immigration, foreign aid, and economic mutualism. French interests in Croatia are centered on the state's stabilizing influence in Southeast Europe and extending the global reach of jointly-held Western ideals. France and Croatia are close military allies with a robust defense industrial base. Both are members of

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

. Croatia was part of France during the early 1800s as the

Illyrian Provinces The Illyrian Provinces were an autonomous province of France during the First French Empire that existed under Napoleonic Rule from 1809 to 1814. The province encompassed large parts of modern Italy and Croatia, extending their reach further e ...

under the

First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

.Frucht 2005, p. 433 They maintain multiple free-trade agreements between themselves in the

Eurozone The euro area, commonly called the eurozone (EZ), is a Monetary union, currency union of 20 Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union (EU) that have adopted the euro (Euro sign, €) as their primary currency ...

and share the

euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...

(€) currency. They share

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

as a major religion,

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

as a national sport, and tri-color flags. Both countries are members the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

, and the

World Trade Organization The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that g ...

. Croatia has been an observer of the ''Francophonie'' since 2004. France maintains an embassy in

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

with Croatia holding an embassy in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

; there are also a French consulate in

Split, Croatia Split (, ), historically known as Spalato (; ; see #Name, other names), is the List of cities and towns in Croatia, second-largest city of Croatia after the capital Zagreb, the largest city in Dalmatia and the largest city on the Croatian coast ...

and Croatian consulates in

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

and

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

History

The connection between France and Croatia began with the spread of

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which m ...

in Croatia by French

Benedictine monks The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, the ...

during the 800s and early 900s. Religious diffusion between the two regions began with France's influence on Croatian Catholicism. In 925, Croatia was elevated to the status of Kingdom and the notions of nobility quickly followed. Over the coming centuries

Croatian nobility Croatian nobility (; ) was a privileged social class in Croatia during the Ancient history, Antiquity and Middle Ages, Medieval periods of the country's history. Noble families in the Kingdom of Croatia (disambiguation), Kingdom of Croatia inclu ...

assumed French practices to great controversy. This contributed to wide spread political and social elitism among the nobles and monarch. The nobility regarded the peasant class as an unseen and irrelevant substrata of people which lead to high causality

revolts In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elemen ...

and beheadings as well as sporadic periods of intense domestic violence. This strained ties with French culture and lead the people of Croatia to denounce French elitism. In 1040, French

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and participation in the sacred through activities reflecting praise, thanksgiving, remembra ...

books and

reliquaries A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', ''chasse'', or ''phylactery'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary, or the room in which one is stored, may also be called a ''feretory''. Relics may be the purported or actual physic ...

were brought to

to create its first

Diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

. French historian of the

Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...

Geoffroi de Villehardouin Geoffrey of Villehardouin (c. 1150 – c. 1213) was a Kingdom of France, French knight and historian who participated in and chronicled the Fourth Crusade. He is considered one of the most important historians of the time period,Smalley, p. 131 ...

, described in

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th During the 14th century, French began to be diffused into Croatian society starting in Zagreb. Many of the Croatian elite studied at the French Sorbonne during the later 15th century and influenced the political landscape of the country for decades to come. One of the most prominent members was Saro Gučetić, who, upon request of the French King Francis I with Suleiman the Magnificent">Francis I of France">Francis I with Suleiman the Magnificent, negotiated secret pacts with neighboring countries. The expansion of literature in France during the early 16th century lead to many Croatian writers to be translated into French for the public. The first diplomatic relation between France and Croatia was the establishment of a consulate in Dubrovnik. The growing connection between the two countries was known as the ''frančezarije'', and was formalized with the first French Masonic lodge in Croatia. As the 1789 French Revolution progressed, the Age of Enlightenment">ideas of enlightenment deeply influenced Croatian society, which lead to the creation of Jacobin clubs in Zagreb and Dubrovnik. During the expansion of Napoleon">Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

, large parts of Croatia were controlled by the French leading to the creation of the

. In 1809, Napoleon Bonaparte and his administration established this territory in Ljubljana (''Laybach'') as an extension against the Austrian Empire in what mostly comprised modern day Croatia and parts of Slovenia. The provinces had four governors during its existence: Auguste de Marmont,

Henri Gatien Bertrand Henri-Gatien Bertrand (; 22 March 1773 Dictionnaire Napoléon - Jean Tulard - P207 – 31 January 1844) was a French general who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Under the Empire he was the third and last G ...

Jean-Andoche Junot Jean-Andoche Junot, Duke of Abrantes (; 25 September 1771 – 29 July 1813) was a French military officer who served in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He is best known for leading the French invasion of Portugal in 1807. ...

, and

Joseph Fouché Joseph Fouché, 1st Duc d'Otrante, 1st Comte Fouché (; 21 May 1759 – 26 December 1820) was a French statesman, revolutionary, and Minister of Police under First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte, who later became a subordinate of Emperor Napoleon. H ...

. During French rule the official languages of the autonomous province were

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

, Croatian,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, and Slovene. Although the French did not entirely abolish the

feudal system Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structuring socie ...

, their rule familiarized in more detail the inhabitants of the Illyrian Provinces with the achievements of the French Revolution and with contemporary

bourgeois society The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and aristocracy. They are traditionally contrasted with ...

. They introduced equality before the law,

compulsory military service Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...

and a uniform tax system, and also abolished certain tax privileges, introduced modern administration, separated powers between the state and the church (the introduction of the

civil wedding A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicities, races, religions, denominations, countries, social classes, and sexual orientations. Most wedding ...

, keeping civil registration of births etc.), and nationalized the judiciary. The occupants made all the citizens theoretically equal under the law for the first time. French rule in the Illyrian Provinces was short-lived, yet it significantly contributed to greater national self-confidence and awareness of freedoms, especially in the Slavic nations as exampled in post Yugoslavian independence Croatia, and Slovenia. The influence of the Illyrian Territories and the rejection of Austrian rule, has prompted a French cultural diffusion and national appreciation in certain areas of the countries that made up the providences that last to this day. In Croatia, the cities and towns of

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, enter ...

Rijeka Rijeka (; Fiume ( �fjuːme in Italian and in Fiuman dialect, Fiuman Venetian) is the principal seaport and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, third-largest city in Croatia. It is located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on Kvarner Ba ...

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

Zadar Zadar ( , ), historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian, ; see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ...

, and

Velika Gorica Velika Gorica () is the largest and most populous city in Zagreb County, Croatia. According to the 2011 census, the city itself has a population of 31,341, and the municipality has a population of 63,517 inhabitants. Velika Gorica is the centre ...

have distinct French and Illyrian customs that remain a remnant of 19th century French rule. In Slovenia and Montenegro, streets and small regions are named after governors of the providences and Bonaparte. During this time the spread of

Illyrian movement The Illyrian movement (; ) was a pan-South-Slavic cultural and political campaign with roots in the early modern period, and revived by a group of young Croatian intellectuals during the first half of the 19th century, around the years of 1835 t ...

was expansive in France and lead to the creation of the seminal work: ''Les peuples'' ''de l’Autriche et de'' ''la Turquie; histoire contemporaine des'' ''Illyriens, des Magyars, des'' ''Roumains et des Polonais'', which served as an "introductory study on Croatia and the Illyrian Movement." During the 1860s, the Croatian school system began to introduce French as a language of study and formally integrated into the national curriculum in 1876. French writer

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, ; ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of Naturalism (literature), naturalism, and an important contributor to ...

–a descendant of

–was one of the most prominent writers of this movement. CroatiaFinanceMinster

During the later 1950s, the capital of Croatia became a cultural center mostly due to the fact that

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

was not aligned with any sovereign state. French philosopher

Jean-Paul Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary criticism, literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th ...

visited Zagreb in 1960 and met with prominent Croatian writers and philosophers. With the collapse of Yugoslavia, Croatia struggled to be internationally recognized. French intellectuals such as Mirko Dražen Grmek–a native Croat and naturalized Frenchman–helped attract high-profile French figures to recognize Croatia. France recognized Croatia on 15 January 1992 and established diplomatic relations three months later. President of Croatia

Ivo Josipović Ivo Josipović (; born 28 August 1957) is a Croatia, Croatian Academic staff, academic, jurist, composer, and politician who served as the president of Croatia from 2010 to 2015. Josipović entered politics as a member of the League of Communist ...

was invited by Francois Hollande to celebrate the National Day of France in July 2013. Minister of State for European Affairs

Harlem Désir Harlem Jean-Philippe Désir (; born 25 November 1959) is a French politician who served as leader of the Socialist Party (PS) from 2012 to 2014. First widely known as a community activist and as the first president of SOS Racisme in the 1980s, ...

visited Croatia on July 14, 2015 to celebrate French Independence Day and met with Prime Minister

Zoran Milanović Zoran Milanović (; born 30 October 1966) is a Croatia, Croatian politician and the incumbent president of Croatia. First elected in 2020, he was re-elected in 2025 with 74% voter support. Prior to assuming the presidency, he was the prime min ...

Military cooperation

Croatian_detachment_Bastille_Day_2013_Paris_t105101

Croatia and France are close military allies and share a robust bilateral defense industrial base. Croatia joined France in

in 2009, effectively establishing a

defense pact A defense pact ( Commonwealth spelling: defence pact) is a type of treaty or military alliance in which the signatories promise to support each other militarily and to defend each other.Volker Krause, J. David Singer "Minor Powers, Alliances, And ...

between the two countries through Article 5. France is the largest foreign supplier of Croatian military equipment in Europe. In 2021, both nations signed a large-scale arms deal facilitating the procurement of 12

Dassault Rafale The Dassault Rafale (, literally meaning "gust of wind", or "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French Twinjet, twin-engine, Canard (aeronautics), canard delta wing, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft designed and ...

fighter jets to Croatia by 2025. After the 2022 Tu-141 drone crash in Zagreb, France dispatched two fighter jets from aircraft carrier ''Charles de Gaulle'' in a show of

military strength A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

for Croatia. Immediately after, Croatia purchased

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...

(SAM) air defense systems Mistral and VL MICA from France.

Economic activity

The two states share euro currency through with their memberships of the European Union and Eurozone. French companies tend to develop the transport infrastructure in Croatia. The construction of the

Zagreb Airport Zagreb Franjo Tuđman Airport () or Zagreb Airport () () is an international airport serving Zagreb, Croatia. It is the busiest airport in Croatia, handling about 4.31 million passengers and some 13,025 tons of cargo in 2024. Named after ...

through the Bouygues-Aéroports de Paris (ADP) investment of €250-€300 million in 2012 substantially increased the public perception of France in Croatia. Their trading agreement and activity reached a market value of €535 million in 2015 (+16.3% compared to 2014). France accounted for 2.3% of Croatia's total trade in 2014, making it the 10th largest trading partner. French exports to Croatia amounted to €364 million in 2015 (+17% compared to 2014) which marks a sharp increase from the previous five years of stagnation and decline. Croatia supplied €171.3 million worth of imports to France in 2015. France is the seventh-largest investor in Croatia with annual investments of €651 million in FDI.

Diplomatic relations

The two countries have inter-

parliamentary In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

exchanges. In 2009, Croatia served as a temporary member of the

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

with France. France created Croatia's "administrative adaptation processes" that helped it become the 28th EU state. In January 2013, Croatia's EU Treaty was ratified by the

French Parliament The French Parliament (, ) is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of the French Fifth Republic, consisting of the Senate (France), Senate (), and the National Assembly (France), National Assembly (). Each assembly conducts legislative sessi ...

. French Minister Delegate for European Affairs Thierry Repentin visited Zagreb in 2013 in support of its membership in the EU. After the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks the government of Croatia made November 16, 2015 a national

mourning Mourning is the emotional expression in response to a major life event causing grief, especially loss. It typically occurs as a result of someone's death, especially a loved one. The word is used to describe a complex of behaviors in which t ...

day in the country and flew their flags half mast. Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic marched in Paris with the "March for Democracy" to grieve the victims.

Sister cities

Francuski premijer fillon hrvatska nema razloga za zabrinutost

Croatia and France share five twin towns and sister cities between themselves. *

Rueil-Malmaison Rueil-Malmaison () or simply Rueil is a Communes of France, commune in the western suburbs of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department, Île-de-France Regions of France, region. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is ...

and

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...

Villefranche-de-Rouergue Villefranche-de-Rouergue (; ) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. Villefranche-de-Rouergue station has rail connections to Toulouse, Figeac and Aurillac. History At the end of the Albigensian Crusade from the northe ...

Aveyron Aveyron (; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron (river), Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyro ...

and

Pula Pula, also known as Pola, is the largest city in Istria County, west Croatia, and the List of cities and towns in Croatia, seventh-largest city in the country, situated at the southern tip of the Istria, Istrian peninsula in western Croatia, wi ...

Auxerre Auxerre ( , , Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Auchoirre'') is the capital (Prefectures in France, prefecture) of the Yonne Departments of France, department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Par ...

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

and

Varaždin Varaždin ( or ; , also known by #Name, alternative names) is a city in Northern Croatia, north-east of Zagreb. The total population is 46,946, with 38,839 in the city settlement itself (2011). The city is best known for its baroque buildings, ...

Romans-sur-Isère Romans-sur-Isère (; ; Old Occitan: ''Romans'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Drôme Departments of France, department in southeastern France. Geography Romans-sur-Isère is located on the Isère (river), Isère, northeast of Valence, ...

Drôme Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.

and

Saint-Dié-des-Vosges Saint-Dié-des-Vosges (; , before 1999: ''Saint-Dié'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Vosges department, Grand Est, northeastern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Saint-Dié is locat ...

and

Crikvenica Crikvenica () is a town in west Croatia, located on the Adriatic in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. Names The names of the town in various languages include: * * * * Geography Crikvenica is located southeast of Rijeka and is the largest s ...

The French government expressed interest in May 2017 of "twinning" with the following Croatian cities: *

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

and

Bourges Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre (Cher), Yèvre. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Cher (department), Cher, and also was the capital city of the former provin ...

and

Šibenik Šibenik (), historically known as Sebenico (), is a historic town in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka (Croatia), Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is one of the oldest Croatia, Croatian self-governing cities ...

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

and

Sports rivalry

Final of the Soccer World Cup Russia between the national teams of France and Croatia

The football teams of France and of Croatia began competing against each other in a series of friendly

exhibition game An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the playe ...

s, but since 1998 their encounters have become increasingly competitive. As both countries have the red-white-blue tricolor, matches between the two are nicknamed ''Le derby tricolore'' ("Tricolor Derby") or '' Trobojnica'' ("Tricolor" game). During the

1998 World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the football world championship for men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. The country was chosen as the host nation by FIFA for the ...

, both France and Croatia reached their then-pinnacle of international prowess after the former won the tournament after defeating the latter who took third place. Twenty years later, the two teams battled the 2018 World Cup final where France overcame Croatia 4–2 to secure the trophy. Similarly to 1998, the match with France elevated Croatia to its highest-ever ranking with runners-up positioning. The two teams have competed against each other six times with France winning four matches, and drawing two. The national tennis teams of Croatia and of France contested the

2018 Davis Cup The 2018 Davis Cup was the 107th edition of the Davis Cup, a tournament between national teams in men's tennis. It was sponsored by BNP Paribas. In 2018, new rules were introduced for the Group I and II zonal events, with ties now being played ...

final with Croatia winning its second title.

Embassies

* Croatia has an embassy in

. * France has an embassy in

. File:Ambassade de Croatie en France, 7 square Thiers, Paris 16e.jpg, Embassy of Croatia in Paris File:French Embassy Zagreb.jpg, Embassy of France in Zagreb

References

External links

Croatian Embassy in Paris, France

French Embassy in Zagreb, Croatia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croatia-France relations