Croatia national football team
| Nickname(s) | Vatreni (Blazers) Kockasti (Checkered Ones) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Croatian Football Federation (HNS) | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Zlatko Dalić | ||
| Captain | Luka Modrić | ||
| Most caps | Luka Modrić (188) | ||
| Top scorer | Davor Šuker (45) | ||
| FIFA code | CRO | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 11 2 (3 April 2025) | ||
| Highest | 3 (July 1998) | ||
| Lowest | 125 (March 1994) | ||
| First international | |||
| Croatia 4–0 Switzerland (Zagreb, Yugoslavia; 2 April 1940) Modern Croatia: Australia 1–0 Croatia (Melbourne, Australia; 5 July 1992) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| Croatia 10–0 San Marino (Rijeka, Croatia; 4 June 2016) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Spain 6–0 Croatia (Elche, Spain; 11 September 2018) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 6 (first in 1998) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2018) | ||
| European Championship | |||
| Appearances | 7 (first in 1996) | ||
| Best result | Quarter-finals (1996, 2008) | ||
| Nations League Finals | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2023) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2023) | ||
| Website | www | ||
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 competitions. 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 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.
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 reach a top 10 place in the World Ranking. At the World Cup, Croatia hold records for the most penalty shoot-outs played (four) and won (four) and for the most penalties saved in a shoot-out (three), among other team records. They were named FIFA Best Mover of the Year in 1994 and 1998, thus becoming the first national team to win the award twice, also equalling joint records with France and Colombia.