Croatia national football team
Men's association football team / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Croatia national football team (Croatian: Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija) represents Croatia 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 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 referred to as the Vatreni ('Blazers') and Kockasti ('Checkered Ones').
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| Nickname(s) | Vatreni ('Blazers') Kockasti ('Checkered Ones') | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | HNS | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Zlatko Dalić | ||
| Captain | Luka Modrić | ||
| Most caps | Luka Modrić (168) | ||
| Top scorer | Davor Šuker (45) | ||
| FIFA code | CRO | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 6  (21 September 2023)[1] | ||
| Highest | 3 (January 1999) | ||
| Lowest | 125 (March 1994) | ||
| First international | |||
.svg/23px-Flag_of_Banate_of_Croatia_(1939-1941).svg.png){kind=small} Croatia 4–0 Switzerland .svg/16px-Flag_of_Switzerland_(Pantone).svg.png){kind=small} (Zagreb, Yugoslavia; 2 April 1940) as FIFA member .svg/23px-Flag_of_Slovakia_(1939–1945).svg.png){kind=small} Slovakia 1–1 Croatia .svg/23px-Flag_of_Croatia_(1941–1945).svg.png){kind=small} (Bratislava, Slovakia; 8 September 1941) as modern Croatia .svg/23px-Flag_of_Croatia_(1990).svg.png){kind=small} Croatia 2–1 United States  (Zagreb, Yugoslavia; 17 October 1990) as FIFA member .svg/23px-Flag_of_Australia_(converted).svg.png){kind=small} 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 | 6 (first in 1996) | ||
| Best result | Quarter-finals (1996, 2008) | ||
| Nations League Finals | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2023) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2023) | ||
| Website | www | ||
.svg/16px-Silver_medal_icon_(S_initial).svg.png){kind=icon}
.svg/16px-Bronze_medal_icon_(B_initial).svg.png){kind=icon}
Since 1994, the Vatreni have qualified for every major tournament with the exception of Euro 2000 and the 2010 World Cup. At the FIFA 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) and finished second in the UEFA Nations League in 2023. In June 2023, Croatia recorded its highest-ever Elo rating of 2,012 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 the second-smallest country by population (after Uruguay) and land mass (after the Netherlands) to reach a World Cup final. At the World Cup, Croatia holds records for most penalty shoot-outs played (4) and won (4) 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 and Colombia. Croatia maintains sporting rivalries with Italy and Serbia, among other nations, which have led to disruptive matches.