Team Overview
The Croatia national football team ( Croatian : Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija ) represents Croatia in men's international football matches. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), the governing body for football in Croatia . It is a member of UEFA in Europe and FIFA in global competition. The team's colours reference two national symbols: the Croatian checkerboard and the country's tricolour . They are colloquially known as the Vatreni (Blazers) and the Kockasti (Checkered Ones). Since 2000, the Vatreni have qualified for every major tournament except UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup . At the World Cup , Croatia has finished second once ( 2018 ) and third on two occasions ( 1998 , 2022 ), securing three World Cup medals. Davor Šuker won the Golden Shoe and the Silver Ball in 1998, while Luka Modrić won the Golden Ball in 2018 and the Bronze Ball in 2022. The team has reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Championship twice ( 1996 , 2008 ). They finished second in the UEFA Nations League in 2023 . As of March 2026, Croatia maintains an Elo Rating of 1,944 with an all-time high of 2,012 recorded in 2023.
2026 Fixtures
| Date | Match | Group / Round | Venue | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-17 15:00 UTC-5 | England vs Croatia | Group L | Dallas (Arlington) | SCHEDULED |
| 2026-06-23 19:00 UTC-4 | Panama vs Croatia | Group L | Toronto | SCHEDULED |
| 2026-06-27 17:00 UTC-4 | Croatia vs Ghana | Group L | Philadelphia | SCHEDULED |
Honours
| Global: FIFA World Cup Runners-up (1): 2018 Third place (2): 1998 , 2022 |
| Continental: UEFA Nations League Runners-up (1): 2023 |
| Friendly: FIFA Series Champions (1): 2024 |
| Friendly: Korea Cup Champions (1): 1999 |
| Friendly: Hassan II Trophy Champions (1): 1996 |
| Awards: FIFA Best Mover of the Year : 1994, 1998 |
Competition Records
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1930 | Part of Yugoslavia | |||||||
| 1934 | ||||||||
| 1938 | ||||||||
| 1950 | ||||||||
| 1954 | ||||||||
| 1958 | ||||||||
| 1962 | ||||||||
| 1966 | ||||||||
| 1970 | ||||||||
| 1974 | ||||||||
| 1978 |
FIFA World Cup
| Matches | |
|---|---|
| First match | Croatia 3–1 Jamaica ( Lens , France; 14 June 1998) |
| Biggest win | Croatia 4–0 Cameroon ( Manaus , Brazil; 18 June 2014) |
| Biggest defeat | Argentina 3–0 Croatia ( Lusail , Qatar; 13 December 2022) |
| Best result | Runners-up in 2018 |
| Worst result | Group stage in 2002 , 2006 , and 2014 |
UEFA European Championship
| UEFA European Championship record | Qualifying record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1960 | Part of Yugoslavia | |||||||
| 1964 | ||||||||
| 1968 | ||||||||
| 1972 | ||||||||
| 1976 | ||||||||
| 1980 | ||||||||
| 1984 | ||||||||
| 1988 | ||||||||
| 1992 | ||||||||
| 1996 | Quarter-finals | 7th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 2000 | Did not qualify | 3rd | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 9 |
UEFA European Championship
| Matches | |
|---|---|
| First match | Croatia 1–0 Turkey ( Nottingham , England; 11 June 1996) |
| Biggest win | Croatia 3–0 Denmark ( Sheffield , England; 16 June 1996) |
| Biggest defeat | Portugal 3–0 Croatia ( Nottingham , England; 19 June 1996) Spain 3–0 Croatia ( Berlin , Germany; 15 June 2024) |
| Best result | Quarter-finals in 1996 , 2008 |
| Worst result | Group stage in 2004 , 2012 , and 2024 |
UEFA Nations League
| UEFA Nations League record | Finals record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | LG | Grp | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF |
| 2018–19 | A | 4 | 3rd | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 2020–21 | A | 3 | 3rd | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| 2022–23 | A | 1 | 1st | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 2024–25 | A | 1 | 2nd | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| 2026–27 | A | 3 | To be determined | 2027 | To be determined | |||
| Total | 24 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 31 | 42 | 2nd | Total |
UEFA Nations League
| Matches | |
|---|---|
| First match | Spain 6–0 Croatia ( Elche , Spain; 11 September 2018) |
| Biggest win | Austria 1–3 Croatia ( Vienna , Austria; 25 September 2022) Netherlands 2–4 Croatia ( Rotterdam , Netherlands; 14 June 2023) Croatia 2–0 France ( Split , Croatia; 20 March 2025) |
| Biggest defeat | Spain 6–0 Croatia ( Elche , Spain; 11 September 2018) |
| Best result | Runners-up in 2022–23 |
| Worst result | 12th place in 2020–21 |
Current Squad
| Pos | Name | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||
| GK | Ivica Ivušić | 6 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
| GK | Karlo Letica | 0 | 0 | Lausanne-Sport |
| Defenders | ||||
| DF | Borna Sosa | 27 | 2 | Crystal Palace |
| DF | Domagoj Bradarić | 5 | 0 | Hellas Verona |
| DF | Ivan Smolčić | 2 | 0 | Como |
| DF | Josip Juranović | 40 | 0 | Union Berlin |
| Midfielders | ||||
| MF | Adrian Segečić | 0 | 0 | Portsmouth |
| MF | Lovro Majer | 38 | 9 | VfL Wolfsburg |
| MF | Luka Stojković | 0 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| Forwards | ||||
| FW | Dion Drena Beljo | 2 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| FW | Franjo Ivanović | 9 | 2 | Benfica |
| FW | Mislav Oršić | 28 | 2 | Pafos |
All-Time Leaders
| Most Caps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Stat | Years |
| Luka Modrić | 197 Caps | 2006–present |
| Ivan Perišić | 153 Caps | 2011–present |
| Darijo Srna | 134 Caps | 2002–2016 |
| Andrej Kramarić | 115 Caps | 2014–present |
| Stipe Pletikosa | 114 Caps | 1999–2014 |
| Mateo Kovačić | 112 Caps | 2013–present |
| Ivan Rakitić | 106 Caps | 2007–2019 |
| Josip Šimunić | 105 Caps | 2001–2013 |
| Top Scorers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Stat | Years |
| Luka Modrić | 197 Goals | 2006–present |
| Ivan Perišić | 153 Goals | 2011–present |
| Darijo Srna | 134 Goals | 2002–2016 |
| Andrej Kramarić | 115 Goals | 2014–present |
| Stipe Pletikosa | 114 Goals | 1999–2014 |
| Mateo Kovačić | 112 Goals | 2013–present |
| Ivan Rakitić | 106 Goals | 2007–2019 |
| Josip Šimunić | 105 Goals | 2001–2013 |