Global InformationFootball in Croatia information
| Football in Croatia | |
|---|---|
 Home stadium of club Hajduk Split, a club on the coast of Split | |
| Country | Croatia |
| Governing body | Croatian Football Federation (HNS) |
| National team(s) | men's national team women's national team |
National competitions | |
HNL 1. NL 2. NL 3. NL First County Croatian Cup Croatian Super Cup | |
Club competitions | |
UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Europa Conference League UEFA Super Cup FIFA Club World Cup | |
International competitions | |
FIFA World Cup UEFA European Championship UEFA Nations League | |
Football in Croatia is the country's most popular sport.[1][2] The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) is the governing body and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of association football in the nation, both professional and amateur.[3] The national and club teams are governed by UEFA in Europe and FIFA in global competitions. The history of the sport is delineated by a variety of unofficial sides as Croatia was not an independent entity until the late 20th century.[4][5]
The club teams that compete domestically do so in the top flight, the Croatian Football League (Hrvatska nogometna liga), the second-tier, First Football League (Prva NL), the third-tier, Second Football League (Druga NL), and fourth-tier Third Football League (Treća NL). The counties of Croatia likewise compete in a regional league system. Club teams contest their respective league championships, the Croatian Cup, and the Croatian Super Cup. The two largest club teams are Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split, who share a rivalry.
The national team of Croatia is a major sporting franchise in European and international football.[2][6] They have qualified for every major tournament with the exception of Euro 2000 and the 2010 World Cup. Croatia has reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Championship twice (1996, 2008) and finished second in the UEFA Nations League in 2023. At the FIFA World Cup, Croatia were the runners-up once (2018) and third on two occasions (1998, 2022), securing three World Cup medals.[7]
- ^ Smith, Rory (2022-12-12). "The Team That Refuses to Lose". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
- ^ a b De Launey, Guy (2013-05-01). "What is Croatia's secret to sporting success?". BBC News. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
- ^ "Croatia Is Basking In Its Surprising Soccer Success The Team, Toughened By War, Has Advanced To The Semifinals In Its First Trip To The Tournament. - Philly.com". Articles.philly.com. 1998-07-09. Retrieved 2014-03-06.
- ^ Rogić, Marijan (2008). Hrvatsko nogometno predstavništvo 1940. - 2008 (in Croatian). Zagreb: Gipa. ISBN 9789539529718.
- ^ Sengupta, Arjun (2022-12-10). "The improbable rise of the Croatian football team". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
- ^ Smith, Rory (2022-12-12). "The Team That Refuses to Lose". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-18.
- ^ Morse, Ben (2022-12-17). "Croatia beats Morocco in World Cup third-place playoff match". CNN. Retrieved 2022-12-17.