Croatia_women's_national_football_team
Croatia women's national football team
Women's national association football team representing Croatia
The Croatia women's national football team represents Croatia in international women's football matches. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation, 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 Lavice ('Lionesses'). So far, the Lavice have not qualified for any major tournament.
| Nickname(s) | Lavice (The Lionesses) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Croatian Football Federation (HNS) | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Nenad Gračan | ||
| Captain | Doris Bačić | ||
| Most caps | Iva Landeka (102) | ||
| Top scorer | Maja Joščak (20) | ||
| FIFA code | CRO | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 59  1 (15 March 2024)[1] | ||
| Highest | 44 (July 2003 – June 2005) | ||
| Lowest | 65 (November 2010; July 2011) | ||
| First international | |||
 Slovenia 3–2 Croatia  (Ižakovci, Slovenia; 28 October 1993) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| Croatia 8–2 Slovenia (Kecskemét, Hungary; 27 May 2001) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Romania 10–0 Croatia (Bucharest, Romania; 2 October 2004) | |||
| Website | hns-cff.hr | ||
After winning independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, the newly established Croatian Football Federation immediately moved toward creating separate national football teams to represent the country, which included the establishment of the women's team. Three years after the men's team debut, the women's team of Croatia officially marked their international debut, playing against neighbouring Slovenia in a friendly on 28 October 1993, where Croatia lost 2–3 away.
Since its inception, the women's team of Croatia has suffered from the lack of coverage from the increasingly successful men's side. Most of Croatia's female footballers, unlike the male ones, are made up of only amateur or part-timers, and thus they are not adequately trained. As for the result, while the men's team has been largely competitive and qualified for several UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup, the women's team is unable to repeat the same as the men's one, and has a tendency of being finished near bottom or bottom of the qualifications for UEFA Women's Championship and FIFA Women's World Cup.
Nicknames
The Croatia women's national football team has been known or nicknamed as the "Lavice".[citation needed]
Rivalry
Like the men's counterparts, the Croatian women's team also maintained a rivalry with its neighbour Serbia. However, unlike the men's, the women's team of Croatia, long suffered from lack of investment, could not demonstrate its domination against its Serbian arch-rival.
- The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
- Legend
Win Draw Lose Fixture
2023
v Romania
| 22 September Nations League B Gr 2 | Croatia | 2–1 | Romania | Varaždin, Croatia |
| 20:15 | Report |
|
Stadium: Stadion Varteks Referee: Maria Marotta (Italy) Assistant referees: Fourth official: Deborah Bianchi (Italy) |
v Croatia
| 26 September Nations League B Gr 2 | Slovakia | 4–0 | Croatia | Senec, Slovakia |
| 18:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: NTC Senec Referee: Alexandra Collin (France) Assistant referees: Fourth official: Emeline Rochebiliere (Italy) |
v Croatia
| 27 October 2023–24 UEFA Nations League | Finland | 3–0 | Croatia | Helsinki |
| 17:45 | Report | Stadium: Bolt Arena, Referee: Désirée Grundbacher (Switzerland) |
v Finland
| 31 October 2023–24 UEFA Nations League | Croatia | 0–2 | Finland | Šibenik |
| 18:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Stadion Šubićevac, Referee: Teresa Oliveira (Portugal) |
v Slovakia
| 1 December 2023 (2023-12-01) 2023–24 UEFA Nations League | Croatia | 2–0 | Slovakia | Velika Gorica |
| 18:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: Stadion Radnik Attendance: 347 Referee: Hristiyana Guteva (Bulgaria) |
v Croatia
| 5 December 2023 (2023-12-05) 2023–24 UEFA Nations League | Romania | 0–1 | Croatia | Bucharest |
| 19:00 (20:00 EET) | Report | Stadium: Stadionul Arcul de Triumf Referee: Rasa Grigonė (Lithuania) |
2024
v 
Norway
| 23 February 2023–24 UEFA Nations League play-offs | Croatia | 0–3 | Norway | Osijek, Croatia |
| Stadium: Opus Arena Referee: Abigail Byrne (England) |
v Croatia
| 27 February 2023–24 UEFA Nations League play-offs | Norway | 5–0 (8–0 agg.) | Croatia | Stavanger |
| Stadium: Viking Stadion Referee: Veronika Kovarova (Czech Republic) | ||||
| Note: Norway won 8–0 on aggregate, and therefore both teams remained in their respective leagues. | ||||
v Croatia
| 5 April Euro 2025 qualifying | Wales | 4–0 | Croatia | Wrexham |
| Report | Stadium: Racecourse Ground Referee: Zuzana Valentová (Slovakia) |
v 
Ukraine
| 9 April Euro 2025 qualifying | Croatia | 1–0 | Ukraine | Zaprešić |
| Report | Stadium: Ivan Laljak-Ivić Stadium Referee: Zulema González (Spain) |
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Nenad Gračan |
| Assistant Coach | Jure Perković |
| Assistant Coach | Nenad Glušica |
| Assistant Coach | Helena Hercigonja-Moulton |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Blaž Bugarin |
Current squad
- The following players were called up for the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 qualifying matches against Wales and the Ukraine on 5 and 9 April 2024 respectively.[2]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Doris Bačić | (1995-02-23) 23 February 1995 (age 29) | 77 | 0 |  Napoli |
| 12 | 1GK | Ana Filipović | (2003-07-04) 4 July 2003 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| 23 | 1GK | Laura Fiket | (2002-06-05) 5 June 2002 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | Split |
| 4 | 2DF | Leonarda Balog | (1993-02-05) 5 February 1993 (age 31) | 65 | 1 |  St. Pölten |
| 5 | 2DF | Kristina Nevrkla | (2003-06-17) 17 June 2003 (age 20) | 88 | 4 | Osijek |
| 3 | 2DF | Ana Jelenčić | (1994-06-08) 8 June 1994 (age 29) | 47 | 1 |  Servette |
| 15 | 2DF | Maria Kunštek | (1998-11-06) 6 November 1998 (age 25) | 28 | 0 | Osijek |
| 2DF | Janja Čanjevac | (1999-08-08) 8 August 1999 (age 24) | 9 | 0 | Hajduk | |
| 13 | 2DF | Tea Varćević | (2006-04-25) 25 April 2006 (age 17) | |||
| 22 | 3MF | Izabela Lojna | (1992-05-11) 11 May 1992 (age 31) | 81 | 12 | Osijek |
| 7 | 3MF | Petra Pezelj | (1998-10-28) 28 October 1998 (age 25) | 41 | 2 |  Trabzonspor |
| 6 | 3MF | Tea Krznarić | (2004-08-09) 9 August 2004 (age 19) | 14 | 0 | LASK |
| 3MF | Fatjesa Gegollaj | (2001-11-05) 5 November 2001 (age 22) |  Al-Ula | |||
| 16 | 3MF | Ivana Kirilenko | (2000-06-21) 21 June 2000 (age 23) | 8 | 0 |  Dux Logroño |
| 3MF | Veronika Terzić | (2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 (age 24) |  Sarajevo | |||
| 3MF | Bianca Rose Galić | |||||
| 9 | 4FW | Ivana Rudelić | (1992-01-25) 25 January 1992 (age 32) | 44 | 17 | Basel |
| 17 | 4FW | Karla Jedvaj | (2000-11-16) 16 November 2000 (age 23) | 13 | 0 | Blau-Weiß Linz |
| 4FW | Andrea Glibo | (2002-04-05) 5 April 2002 (age 22) | Sturm | |||
| 19 | 4FW | Paula Vidović | (2003-06-16) 16 June 2003 (age 20) |  FC Ingolstadt 04 | ||
| 4FW | Ana Maria Marković | |||||
Recent call-ups
- The following players were named to a squad in the last 12 months.
- This list may be incomplete.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Danijela Vidović | (2003-06-05) 5 June 2003 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | Rijeka |
Slovakia, 26 September 2023 |
| DF | Lucia Domazet | (2003-06-17) 17 June 2003 (age 20) | 10 | 0 | Split |
Norway, 5 April 2024 |
| DF | Barbara Živković | (2005-02-15) 15 February 2005 (age 19) | Osijek |
Norway, 5 April 2024 | ||
| DF | Antonia Dulčić | (1997-02-04) 4 February 1997 (age 27) | 24 | 0 | ALG Spor |
Norway, 5 April 2024 |
| MF | Mia Došen | (2003-09-25) 25 September 2003 (age 20) |  Parkside |
Slovakia, 26 September 2023 | ||
| MF | Helena Spajić | (2000-02-08) 8 February 2000 (age 24) | 25 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
Finland, 31 October 2023 |
| MF | Ella Ljuština | (2002-05-10) 10 May 2002 (age 21) | 11 | 1 | Grasshopper |
Romania, 5 December 2023 |
| MF | Antea Batarilo | (2005-10-02) 2 October 2005 (age 18) | Austria Wien |
Romania, 5 December 2023 | ||
| MF | Ivana Slipčević | (1998-08-23) 23 August 1998 (age 25) | 11 | 0 | FC Ingolstadt 04 |
Norway, 5 April 2024 |
| MF | Ružica Krajinović | (2002-05-10) 10 May 2002 (age 21) | 7 | 0 | Sturm |
Norway, 5 April 2024 |
| MF | Anela Lubina | (1995-12-18) 18 December 1995 (age 28) | 43 | 2 | Osijek |
Norway, 5 April 2024 |
| FW | Selma Kajdić | (1996-05-03) 3 May 1996 (age 27) | 2 | 0 | Dornbirn |
Slovakia, 26 September 2023 |
| FW | Jelena Đorđić | (2002-01-27) 27 January 2002 (age 22) | First Vienna |
Romania, 5 December 2023 | ||
| FW | Nika Petarić | (2002-06-02) 2 June 2002 (age 21) | 2 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
Romania, 5 December 2023 |
Champions
Runners-up
Third place
Fourth place
Tournament played fully or partially on home soil
FIFA Women's World Cup
| FIFA Women's World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
 1991 |
Part of  Yugoslavia |
||||||||||||||||
 1995 |
Did not enter | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2003 |
Did not qualify | 2/5 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 11 | |||||||||
| 2007 |
2/4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 11 | ||||||||||
| 2011 |
6/6 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 27 | ||||||||||
 2015 |
4/6 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 20 | ||||||||||
 2019 |
5/5 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 20 | ||||||||||
  2023 |
4/6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 18 | ||||||||||
| 2027 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 0/9 | — | 0/6 | 52 | 12 | 9 | 31 | 49 | 107 | ||||||||
Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out; correct as of 6 September 2022 after the match against 
Lithuania.
| Matches | |
|---|---|
| First match | – |
| Biggest win | – |
| Biggest defeat | – |
UEFA Women's Championship
| UEFA Women's Championship record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1969 |
Part of Yugoslavia |
||||||||||||||||
| 1979 | |||||||||||||||||
  1984 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1987 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1989 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1991 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1993 |
Did not enter | ||||||||||||||||
| 1995 |
Did not qualify | 2/4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 18 | |||||||||
| 1997 |
4/4 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 23 | ||||||||||
| 2001 |
4/4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 19 | ||||||||||
| 2005 |
3/5 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 22 | ||||||||||
| 2009 |
3/4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2013 |
5/5 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 26 | ||||||||||
 2017 |
4/5 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 15 | ||||||||||
| 2022 |
4/5 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 19 | ||||||||||
| 2025 |
To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 0/15 | — | 0/8 | 55 | 14 | 6 | 35 | 64 | 148 | ||||||||
Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out; correct as of 23 February 2021 after the match against Romania.
| Matches | |
|---|---|
| First match | – |
| Biggest win | – |
| Biggest defeat | – |
UEFA Women's Nations League
| UEFA Women's Nations League | Finals record | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | LG | GP | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | RK | Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | |
| 2023–24 | B | 2 | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 10 |  | 23rd | 2024 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| Total | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 10 | Total | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | ||||||
Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks; correct as of 5 December 2023 after the match against Romania.
- As of 5 December 2023
Most capped players
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iva Landeka | 102 | 14 | 2006–2022 |
| 2 | Sandra Žigić | 94 | 10 | 2005–2019 |
| 3 | Kristina Nevrkla | 87 | 4 | 2008– |
| 4 | Izabela Lojna | 82 | 12 | 2010– |
| 5 | Maja Joščak | 77 | 20 | 2006–2019 |
| Doris Bačić | 0 | 2011– | ||
| 7 | Leonarda Balog | 68 | 1 | 2009– |
| 8 | Kristina Šundov | 59 | 8 | 2003–2020 |
| 9 | Violeta Baban | 58 | 8 | 2002–2016 |
| 10 | Ana Jelenčić | 47 | 1 | 2011– |
Top goalscorers
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| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maja Joščak | 20 | 77 | 0.26 | 2006–2019 |
| 2 | Ivana Rudelić | 18 | 46 | 0.38 | 2015– |
| 3 | Katarina Kolar | 16 | 40 | 0.4 | 2006–2014 |
| 4 | Iva Landeka | 14 | 102 | 0.14 | 2006–2022 |
| 5 | Marina Koljenik | 13 | 35 | 0.37 | 1994–2007 |
| 6 | Ljiljana Jakšić | 12 | 22 | 0.55 | 1995–2005 |
| Izabela Lojna | 81 | 0.15 | 2010– | ||
| 8 | Sandra Žigić | 10 | 94 | 0.11 | 2005–2019 |
| 9 | Violeta Baban | 8 | 58 | 0.14 | 2003–2020 |
| Kristina Šundov | 59 | 0.14 | 2002–2016 | ||
- Croatia women's national under-19 football team
- Croatia women's national under-17 football team
- Croatia women's national under-15 football team
- Croatia national football team
- Croatia national football B team
- Croatia national under-23 football team
- Croatia national under-21 football team
- Croatia national under-20 football team
- Croatia national under-19 football team
- Croatia national under-18 football team
- Croatia national under-17 football team
- Croatia national under-16 football team
- Croatia national under-15 football team
- "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.