Croatia women's national football team
| Nickname | 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 | 61 2 (11 December 2025)[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 | ||
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.
History
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.
Team image
Nicknames
The Croatia women's national football team has been known or nicknamed as the "Lavice".
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, which has long suffered from lack of investment, could not demonstrate its domination against its Serbian arch-rival.
Recent results and fixtures
- 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
2024
| 30 November Friendly | Croatia | 1–1 | Slovenia | Čakovec, Croatia |
| 14:00 UTC+1 | Slipčević 85' | Report | Kajzba 15' | Stadium: Stadion SRC Mladost Attendance: 500 Referee: Filip Glavić (Croatia) |
2025
| 21 February 2025 2025 Nations League B | Croatia | 0–4 | Czech Republic | Pula, Croatia |
| 19:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Stadion Aldo Drosina Attendance: 327 Referee: Abigail Byrne (England) |
| 25 February 2025 UEFA Nations League | Ukraine | 2–1 | Croatia | Elbasan, Albania[note 1] |
| 18:00 UTC+1 |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Elbasan Arena Attendance: 10 Referee: Shona Shukrula (Netherlands) |
| 4 April 2025 Nations League B | Albania | 4–0 | Croatia | Shkodër, Albania |
| 16:00 | Report | Stadium: Loro Boriçi Stadium Attendance: 436 Referee: Alexandra Collin (France) |
| 8 April 2025 Nations League B | Croatia | 1–2 | Albania | Zagreb, Croatia |
| 16:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: Sport Centre Rudes Attendance: 377 Referee: Maria Marotta (Italy) |
| 30 May 2025 Nations League B | Czech Republic | 5–0 | Croatia | Chomutov, Czech Republic |
| 17:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: Letní stadion Referee: Karoline Wacker (Germany) |
| 3 June 2025 Nations League B | Croatia | 2–0 | Ukraine | Karlovac, Croatia |
| 19:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: Stadion Branko Čavlović-Čavlek Attendance: 238 Referee: Deborah Anex (Switzerland) |
| 24 October Friendly | Croatia | 1–3 | Montenegro | Zmijavci, Croatia |
| 15:00 UTC+1 | Kurkutović 60' | Report | Stadium: Stadion ŠRC Marijan Šuto Mrma |
| 27 October Friendly | Croatia | 2–1 | Montenegro | Dugopolje, Croatia |
| 12:00 UTC+1 |
|
Report | Karličić 31' | Stadium: Hrvatski vitezovi stadium |
| 28 November 2025 Friendly | Malta | 3–2 | Croatia | Ta' Qali, Malta |
|
|
Stadium: Centenary Stadium |
| 1 December Friendly | Malta | 0–3 | Croatia | Ta' Qali, Malta |
|
Stadium: Centenary Stadium |
Coaching staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Nenad Gračan |
| Assistant Coach | Jure Perković |
| Assistant Coach | Nenad Glušica |
| Assistant Coach | Helena Hercigonja-Moulton |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Blaž Bugarin |
Source: [1]
Players
Current squad
The following players were called up for the Friendly matches against Malta on 28 November and 2 December 2025. [3]
- Caps and goals correct as of 27 October 2025, after the match against Montenegro. [4]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Doris Bačić (captain) | 23 February 1995 | 92 | 0 | Napoli |
| 12 | GK | Ana Filipović | 4 July 2003 | 1 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| 23 | GK | Ana Ristovski | 20 January 2008 | 2 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
| 2 | DF | Lucia Orkić | 22 June 2005 | 7 | 0 | RB Salzburg |
| 3 | DF | Ana Jelenčić | 9 January 1992 | 63 | 1 | Servette |
| 5 | DF | Kristina Nevrkla | 5 July 1996 | 106 | 5 | Osijek |
| 6 | DF | Tea Vračević | 25 April 2006 | 16 | 1 | St. Pölten |
| 14 | DF | Antonia Dulčić | 4 February 1997 | 42 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
| 19 | DF | Janja Čanjevac | 14 November 2000 | 18 | 1 | Hajduk Split |
| 4 | MF | Lucija Vunić | 18 June 2006 | 1 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| 8 | MF | Maja Joščak | 2 August 1990 | 92 | 20 | Agram |
| 10 | MF | Izabela Lojna | 11 May 1992 | 99 | 14 | Osijek |
| 11 | MF | Ivana Slipčević | 23 August 1998 | 25 | 2 | SC Sand |
| 13 | MF | Helena Spajić | 8 February 2000 | 30 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| 15 | MF | Laura Vlastelica | 1 December 2005 | 0 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
| 16 | MF | Barbara Živković | 15 February 2005 | 8 | 1 | Hajduk Split |
| 17 | MF | Ella Luština | 10 November 2005 | 15 | 1 | Grasshoppers |
| 18 | MF | Siena Isobel Maria Stambolich | 13 August 2002 | 0 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| 7 | FW | Ivana Rudelić | 25 January 1992 | 60 | 20 | Basel |
| 9 | FW | Petra Mikulica | 2 July 2005 | 9 | 0 | Altach |
| 20 | FW | Paula Vidović | 16 June 2003 | 9 | 0 | FC Ingolstadt |
| 21 | FW | Karla Kurkutović | 17 December 2006 | 6 | 0 | Górnik Łęczna |
| 22 | FW | Martina Ćavar | 11 May 2003 | 0 | 0 | Zürich |
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the squad within the past 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Stephanie Bukovec | 22 September 1995 | 6 | 0 | Calgary Wild | v. Ukraine, 3 June 2025 |
| GK | Lana Klobučarević | 17 June 2008 | 0 | 0 | Agram | v. Ukraine, 3 June 2025 |
| GK | Nika Radolović | 22 April 2008 | 2 | 0 | Istra 1961 | v. Albania, 8 April 2025 |
| DF | Leonarda Balog | 5 February 1993 | 78 | 1 | St. Pölten | v. Ukraine, 3 June 2025 |
| DF | Maria Kunštek | 6 November 1998 | 33 | 0 | Växjö DFF | v. Ukraine, 3 June 2025 |
| DF | Ana Grdiša | 16 April 2007 | 2 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb | v. Ukraine, 3 June 2025 |
| DF | Nina Varga | 20 August 2005 | 1 | 0 | Međimurje | v. Ukraine, 3 June 2025 |
| DF | Tijan McKenna | 8 September 2004 | 0 | 0 | Perth Glory | v. Slovenia, 30 November 2024 |
| DF | Lucia Duras | 13 December 2004 | 0 | 0 | Djurgårdens | v. Slovenia, 30 November 2024 |
| MF | Ružica Krajinović | 8 January 2002 | 17 | 1 | Sturm Graz | v. Montenegro, 27 October 2025 |
| MF | Ana Jakobašić | 4 March 2004 | 4 | 0 | Hajduk Split | v. Montenegro, 27 October 2025 |
| MF | Ana Bakalar | 27 November 2000 | 3 | 0 | Hajduk Split | v. Montenegro, 27 October 2025 |
| MF | Bianca Galić | 14 May 1999 | 6 | 0 | Sydney FC | v. Ukraine, 3 June 2025 |
| MF | Helena Damjanović PRE | 23 September 2005 | 0 | 0 | Međimurje | v. Czech Republic, 30 May 2025 |
| MF | Anela Lubina | 18 December 1995 | 49 | 2 | Osijek | v. Ukraine, 25 February 2025 |
| MF | Tea Krznarić | 9 August 2004 | 27 | 0 | St. Pölten | v. Ukraine, 25 February 2025 |
| MF | Petra Pezelj INJ | 28 October 1998 | 53 | 2 | SFK 2000 | v. Czech Republic, 21 February 2025 |
| MF | Matea Bošnjak INJ | 21 December 1997 | 33 | 2 | Hajduk Split | v. Northern Ireland, 29 October 2024 |
| FW | Antea Guvo | 10 November 2004 | 6 | 0 | Peamount United | v. Montenegro, 27 October 2025 |
| FW | Karla Jedvaj | 16 November 2000 | 18 | 0 | Blau-Weiß Linz | v. Montenegro, 27 October 2025 |
| FW | Marija Došen | 3 June 2008 | 1 | 0 | Unattached | v. Czech Republic, 30 May 2025 |
| FW | Paula Petković | 19 December 2006 | 0 | 0 | Osijek | v. Czech Republic, 30 May 2025 |
| FW | Ana Maria Marković | 9 November 1999 | 25 | 2 | Braga | v. Albania, 8 April 2025 |
| FW | Ana Dujmović | 21 February 1996 | 16 | 0 | Agram | v. Albania, 8 April 2025 |
| FW | Jelena Đorđić | 27 July 2001 | 4 | 1 | USV Neulengbach | v. Czech Republic, 21 February 2025 |
| ||||||
Competitive record
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 | |||||||||||||||
| 2031 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
| 2035 | 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 | P/R | Rnk | |
| 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 | 3/4 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 | [a] | 25th | ||||||||||
| 2029 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | 0/10 | — | 0/9 | 55 | 14 | 6 | 35 | 64 | 148 | 25th | |||||||||
- Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out
- Correct as of 29 October 2024 after the match against Northern Ireland.
| Matches | |
|---|---|
| First match | – |
| Biggest win | – |
| Biggest defeat | – |
UEFA Women's Nations League
| UEFA Women's Nations League | Finals record | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Lg | Gp | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | P/R | Rnk | Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | |
| 2023–24 | B | 2 | 2nd | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 18 | * | 23rd | 2024 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 2025 | B | 4 | 4th | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 31st | 2025 | ||||||||||
| Total | 14 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 35 | 23rd and 31st | Total | 0/2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |||||
| Promoted at end of season | |
| No movement at end of season | |
| Relegated at end of season | |
| * | Participated in promotion/relegation play-offs |
Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks; correct as of 5 December 2023 after the match against Romania.
| Matches | |
|---|---|
| First match | Croatia 2–1 Romania (Varaždin, Croatia; 22 September 2023) |
| Biggest win | Croatia 2–0 Slovakia (Velika Gorica, Croatia; 1 December 2023) Croatia 2–0 Ukraine (Karlovac, Croatia; 3 June 2025) |
| Biggest defeat | Slovakia 4–0 Croatia (Senec, Slovakia; 26 September 2023) |
Individual statistics
- As of 29 October 2024
Most capped players
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iva Landeka | 102 | 14 | 2006–2022 |
| 2 | Kristina Nevrkla | 97 | 4 | 2008– |
| 3 | Sandra Žigić | 94 | 10 | 2005–2019 |
| 4 | Izabela Lojna | 90 | 14 | 2010– |
| 5 | Doris Bačić | 86 | 0 | 2011– |
| 6 | Maja Joščak | 79 | 20 | 2006– |
| 7 | Leonarda Balog | 72 | 1 | 2009– |
| 8 | Kristina Šundov | 59 | 8 | 2003–2020 |
| 9 | Violeta Baban | 58 | 8 | 2002–2016 |
| 10 | Ana Jelenčić | 57 | 1 | 2011– |
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivana Rudelić | 20 | 53 | 0.38 | 2015– |
| Maja Joščak | 79 | 0.25 | 2006– | ||
| 3 | Katarina Kolar | 16 | 40 | 0.4 | 2006–2014 |
| 4 | Izabela Lojna | 14 | 97 | 0.14 | 2010– |
| Iva Landeka | 102 | 0.14 | 2006–2022 | ||
| 6 | Marina Koljenik | 13 | 35 | 0.37 | 1994–2007 |
| 7 | Ljiljana Jakšić | 12 | 22 | 0.55 | 1995–2005 |
| 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 |
See also
- 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
Notes
- ^ From Euro 2025 onwards a new qualifying format was introduced, linked to the Women's Nations League where teams are divided into leagues with promotion/relegation between the leagues at the end of each cycle.
References
- ^ Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine are required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.[2]
- ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Women's World Ranking". FIFA. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ^ "Decisions from today's extraordinary UEFA Executive Committee meeting". UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ "Nenad Gračan objavio popis igračica za prijateljske utakmice protiv Malte" [Nenad Gračan announces list of players for friendly matches against Malta] (in Croatian). Hrvatski Nogometni Savez / Croatian Football Federation. 20 November 2025.
- ^ Croatian Squad