Croatia national under-21 football team
National association football team
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The Croatia national under-21 football team represents Croatia in international football matches for players 21 or under. 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 Mladi vatreni ('Young Blazers'). So far, the Mladi vatreni qualified for five UEFA European Under-21 Championships, namely in 2000, 2004, 2019, 2021 and 2023. Croatia was unable to pass the group stage until the 2021 Euro when it was eliminated in the quarter-finals, its greatest accomplishment in the European competition so far.
| Nickname | Mladi Vatreni (The Young Blazers) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Croatian Football Federation (HNS) | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Head coach | Ivica Olić | ||
| Captain | Bartol Franjić | ||
| Most caps | Luka Ivanušec (28) | ||
| Top scorer | Tomislav Bušić (13) | ||
| FIFA code | CRO | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Slovakia 1–1 Croatia  (Bratislava, Slovakia, September 1942) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
 Croatia 10–0 San Marino  (Zagreb, Croatia, 8 October 2020) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 Spain 6–0 Croatia (Alicante, Spain, 10 September 2012) | |||
| UEFA U-21 Championship | |||
| Appearances | 5 (first in 2000) | ||
| Best result | Quarter-finals (2021) | ||
| Website | hns-cff.hr | ||
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.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024
| 5 September 2024 Euro 2025 qualif Gr G | Croatia | 2–1 |  Faroe Islands |
| 10 September 2024 Euro 2025 qualif Gr G | Croatia | 0–2 |  Portugal |
| 11 October 2024 Euro 2025 qualif Gr G | Croatia | 2–0 |  Andorra |
| 15 October 2024 Euro 2025 qualif Gr G | Croatia | 3–2 |  Greece |
Coaching staff
Current coaching staff
| Position | Name[1] |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Ivica Olić |
| Assistant coaches | Ante Tomić Renato Pilipović Niko Kranjčar |
| Goalkeeping coach | Darko Staneković |
| Fitness coaches | Vedran Naglić Aris Naglić |
| Analyst | Nikola Buzadžić |
| Doctors | Mislav Rakić Boban Dangubić Nino Brajković |
| Physiotherapists | Tomislav Buljan |
| Technical secretary | Josip Tomaško |
| Kit men | Milan Vincek Luka Karlo |
Players
Current squad
The following players were named in the squad for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against Turkey on 31 March 2026.[2]
Caps and goals correct as of 31 March 2026, after the match against Turkey
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Toni Silić | 7 May 2004 | 4 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
| 12 | GK | Anthony Pavlešić | 31 January 2006 | 3 | 0 | Rudeš |
| 23 | GK | Jozo Vukman | 7 February 2004 | 0 | 0 | Hrvace |
| 2 | DF | Šimun Hrgović | 20 March 2004 | 15 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
| 3 | DF | Dominik Prpić | 19 May 2004 | 11 | 0 | Porto |
| 4 | DF | Branimir Mlačić | 12 March 2007 | 1 | 1 |  Udinese |
| 5 | DF | Teo Barišić | 30 September 2004 | 8 | 0 | Rijeka |
| 15 | DF | Moreno Živković | 22 May 2004 | 11 | 0 | Vukovar 1991 |
| 20 | DF | Filip Krušelj | 30 March 2005 | 3 | 0 | Slaven Belupo |
| 6 | MF | Vito Čaić | 1 April 2005 | 1 | 0 | Vukovar 1991 |
| 8 | MF | Adriano Jagušić | 6 September 2005 | 9 | 2 | Panathinaikos |
| 10 | MF | Lovro Zvonarek | 8 May 2005 | 18 | 2 |  Grasshopper |
| 11 | MF | Fabijan Krivak | 24 February 2005 | 8 | 4 |  Sigma Olomouc |
| 16 | MF | Ante Kavelj | 26 August 2005 | 6 | 0 | Gorica |
| 18 | MF | Šimun Mikolčić | 21 January 2004 | 4 | 1 | Osijek |
| 7 | FW | Marin Šotiček | 18 September 2004 | 20 | 3 | Basel |
| 9 | FW | Anton Matković | 19 February 2006 | 3 | 0 | Osijek |
| 13 | FW | Ivan Canjuga | 30 November 2005 | 1 | 0 | Varaždin |
| 17 | FW | Roko Brajković | 3 July 2005 | 5 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
| 19 | FW | Fran Topić | 20 March 2004 | 11 | 3 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| 22 | FW | Adrian Segečić | 1 June 2004 | 1 | 0 |  Portsmouth |
Recent call-ups
The following players have also been called up to the squad in the last 12 months and are still eligible for selection.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Borna Buljan | 5 April 2005 | 0 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
v. Portugal, 10 September 2024 |
| DF | Luka Vušković | 24 February 2007 | 4 | 1 |  Westerlo |
v.  Georgia, 19 November 2024 |
| DF | Noa Mikić | 27 January 2007 | 0 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
v. Portugal, 10 September 2024 |
| DF | Maro Katinić | 13 April 2004 | 6 | 0 |  Sharjah |
v. Andorra, 11 October 2024PRE |
| DF | Domagoj Bukvić | 22 February 2004 | 9 | 1 | Osijek |
v. Georgia, 15 November 2024PRE |
| DF | Luka Hodak | 10 June 2006 | 0 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
v. Andorra, 11 October 2024PRE |
| MF | Lovro Zvonarek | 8 May 2005 | 8 | 0 |  Sturm Graz |
v. Georgia, 19 November 2024 |
| MF | Marin Prekodravac | 3 March 2005 | 0 | 0 | Šibenik |
v. Georgia, 15 November 2024PRE |
| MF | Šimun Mikolčić | 21 January 2004 | 0 | 0 | Osijek |
v. Georgia, 15 November 2024PRE |
| MF | Antonio Baždarić | 8 January 2006 | 0 | 0 | Lokomotiva |
v. Andorra, 11 October 2024PRE |
| MF | Luka Kapulica | 18 January 2005 | 0 | 0 | Gorica |
v. Andorra, 11 October 2024PRE |
| MF | Marko Capan | 24 February 2004 | 0 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
v. Portugal, 10 September 2024 |
| MF | Branko Pavić | 7 November 2006 | 1 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
v. Greece, 15 October 2024 |
| FW | Anton Matković | 19 February 2006 | 2 | 0 | Osijek |
v. Andorra, 11 October 2024 INJ |
| ||||||
Competitive record
Summer Olympics
Gold medalists Silver medalists Bronze medalists Tournament hosted
| Summer Olympics | Qualification | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Round | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | |
| 1900 to 1904 | Only club teams participated | Only club teams participated | |||||||||||||||
| 1908 to 1992 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||
| 1996 |  United States | Did not qualify | 4th | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 12 | ||||||||
| 2000 |  Australia | 4th | 13 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 32 | 15 | |||||||||
| 2004 | Greece | 4th | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 10 | |||||||||
| 2008 |  China | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||
| 2012 |  United Kingdom | 1st | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 18 | 15 | |||||||||
| 2016 |  Brazil | 1st | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 9 | |||||||||
| 2020 |  Japan | 4th | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 35 | 13 | |||||||||
| 2024 |  France | 3rd | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 28 | 16 | |||||||||
| 2028 | United States | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| Total | Never qualified | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0/8 | 84 | 43 | 15 | 26 | 164 | 94 | ||
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Winners Runners-up Tournament hosted
| UEFA European Under-21 Championship | Qualification | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Host | Round | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Squad | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | |
| 1972 to 1992 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||
| 1994 | France | Not a UEFA member | Not a UEFA member | ||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Spain | Did not qualify | 4th | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 12 | ||||||||
| 1998 |  Romania | 3rd | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 9 | |||||||||
| 2000 |  Slovakia | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | Squad | 1st | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 9 | |
| 2002 | Switzerland | Did not qualify | 2nd | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 7 | ||||||||
| 2004 |  Germany | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | Squad | 1st | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 5 | |
| 2006 | Portugal | Did not qualify | 1st | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 11 | ||||||||
| 2007 |  Netherlands | 1st | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||
| 2009 |  Sweden | 2nd | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 12 | |||||||||
| 2011 |  Denmark | 1st | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 14 | |||||||||
| 2013 |  Israel | 4th | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 16 | |||||||||
| 2015 | Czech Republic | 1st | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 22 | 9 | |||||||||
| 2017 |  Poland | 3rd | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 11 | |||||||||
| 2019 | Italy | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | Squad | 3rd | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 5 | |
| 2021 |  Hungary Slovenia | Quarter-final | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | Squad | 2nd | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 37 | 7 | |
| 2023 | Georgia Romania | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | Squad | 2nd | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 13 | |
| 2025 | Slovakia | Did not qualify | 2nd | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 23 | 17 | ||||||||
| 2027 |  Albania Serbia | To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| Total | Quarter-final | 15 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 27 | — | 5/16 | 150 | 87 | 23 | 40 | 304 | 161 | ||
Statistics
Managers
The following table provides a summary of the complete record of each manager including their results regarding European Under-21 Championship.
- Key: Pld–games played, W–games won, D–games drawn; L–games lost, %–win percentage
| Manager | Tenure | Pld | W | D | L | Win % | Tournaments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Novoselac |
1994–1996 2000–2004 |
54 | 19 | 20 | 15 | 35.2 |  1996 European Championship – Failed to qualify 2002 European Championship – Failed to qualify 2004 European Championship – Group stage |
| Ivo Šušak |
1997–2000 2011–2013 |
38 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 47.4 | 1998 European Championship – Failed to qualify 2000 European Championship – Group stage 2013 European Championship – Failed to qualify |
| Slaven Bilić |
2004–2006 | 20 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 55.0 | 2006 European Championship – Play-offs |
| Aljoša Asanović (c) |
2005 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 2006 European Championship – Failed to qualify[3] |
| Ivica Grnja (c) |
2005 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 2006 European Championship – Failed to qualify[4] |
| Marijan Brnčić (c)[5] |
2005 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | — |
| Dražen Ladić |
2006–2011 | 32 | 20 | 6 | 6 | 62.50 | 2007 European Championship – Failed to qualify 2009 European Championship – Failed to qualify 2011 European Championship – Failed to qualify |
| Niko Kovač |
2013 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 71.4 | — |
| Nenad Gračan |
2013–2019 | 41 | 21 | 9 | 11 | 51.2 | 2015 European Championship – Failed to qualify 2017 European Championship – Failed to qualify 2019 European Championship – Group stage |
| Igor Bišćan |
2019–2023 | 30 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 60.0 | 2021 European Championship – Quarter-finals |
| Dragan Skočić |
2023– | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 37.5 | 2023 European Championship – Group stage |
Last updated: Croatia vs Belarus, 20 November 2023. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.
Most capped players
- Players in bold are still active with Croatia.
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luka Ivanušec | 2017–2021 | 28 | 10 |
| 2 | Tomislav Vranjić | 2002–2005 | 26 | 0 |
| 3 | Tomislav Bušić | 2005–2008 | 25 | 12 |
| 4 | Nikola Moro | 2017–2021 | 24 | 6 |
| 5 | Josip Tadić | 2005–2008 | 22 | 5 |
| 6 | Ivan Leko | 1994–2000 | 21 | 5 |
| Mato Jajalo | 2007–2010 | 4 | ||
| 8 | Tomo Šokota | 1997–2000 | 19 | 10 |
| Roko Šimić | 2021– | 8 | ||
| Nikola Vlašić | 2015–2019 | 7 | ||
| Lovro Majer | 2017–2021 | 5 | ||
| Davor Vugrinec | 1994–1997 | 3 | ||
| Dejan Lovren | 2007–2010 | 3 | ||
| Mario Lučić | 2002–2004 | 2 | ||
| Domagoj Vida | 2007–2010 | 2 | ||
| Dario Smoje | 1997–2000 | 1 | ||
| Boško Šutalo | 2019–2022 | 1 | ||
| Mario Carević | 2001–2004 | 0 | ||
| Luka Vučko | 2004–2006 | 0 | ||
| Borna Sosa | 2017–2020 | 0 | ||
Last updated: Belarus vs Croatia, 20 November 2023
Source: Croatian Football Federation
Top goalscorers
- Players in bold are still active with Croatia.
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| # | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomislav Bušić | 12 | 29 | 0.41 | 2005–2008 |
| 2 | Tomo Šokota | 10 | 19 | 0.53 | 1997–2000 |
| Luka Ivanušec | 28 | 0.36 | 2017–2021 | ||
| 4 | Josip Brekalo | 9 | 17 | 0.53 | 2016–2019 |
| 5 | Eduardo da Silva | 8 | 12 | 0.67 | 2004–2005 |
| Stipe Perica | 12 | 0.67 | 2013–2016 | ||
| Roko Šimić | 19 | 0.42 | 2021– | ||
| 8 | Marcelo Brozović | 7 | 13 | 0.54 | 2011–2014 |
| Nikola Vlašić | 19 | 0.37 | 2015–2019 | ||
| 10 | Ante Rukavina | 6 | 9 | 0.67 | 2007–2008 |
| Marin Ljubičić | 11 | 0.55 | 2021– | ||
| Mario Pašalić | 14 | 0.43 | 2014–2016 | ||
| Mihael Mikić | 15 | 0.4 | 1999–2001 | ||
| Sandro Kulenović | 15 | 0.4 | 2019–2021 | ||
| Nikola Moro | 24 | 0.25 | 2017–2021 | ||
Last updated: Belarus vs Croatia, 20 November 2023
Source: Croatian Football Federation
Record per opponent
More wins than losses
As many wins as losses
Fewer wins than losses
Correct as of 20 November 2023, after the match against Belarus.
| Opponent | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 50.00 |
| Australia U23 |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 0.00 |
| Austria |
4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 25.00 |
 Azerbaijan |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | +8 | 100.00 |
 Belarus |
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | +10 | 80.00 |
| Belgium |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 50.00 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 14 | +5 | 44.44 |
 Bulgaria |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | +0 | 33.33 |
 Chile U23 |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0.00 |
| Czech Republic |
7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 14.29 |
 Cyprus |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 50.00 |
| Denmark |
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 66.67 |
| England |
7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 42.86 |
 Estonia |
10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 3 | +20 | 90.00 |
| Faroe Islands |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 100.00 |
 Finland |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 50.00 |
| France |
5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 0.00 |
| Georgia |
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | +0 | 25.00 |
| Germany |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 100.00 |
| Greece |
11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 13 | +9 | 54.55 |
| Hungary |
12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 30 | 14 | +16 | 58.33 |
 Iceland |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 100.00 |
 Republic of Ireland |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 50.00 |
| Israel |
5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0.00 |
| Italy |
8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 12.50 |
| Italy B |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 0.00 |
 Latvia |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 75.00 |
 Liechtenstein |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 100.00 |
 Lithuania |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | +12 | 100.00 |
 FYR Macedonia |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 75.00 |
 Malta |
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 100.00 |
 Mexico |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0.00 |
 Moldova |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 100.00 |
 Montenegro |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 33.33 |
 Morocco U20 |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0.00 |
| Netherlands |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | +0 | 50.00 |
 Norway |
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 80.00 |
| Poland |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 33.33 |
| Portugal |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 25.00 |
| Romania |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0.00 |
 Russia |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 0.00 |
| San Marino |
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | +33 | 100.00 |
 Scotland |
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 33.33 |
 Serbia |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 50.00 |
 Serbia and Montenegro |
5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 12 | +0 | 20.00 |
| Slovakia |
8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 11 | +3 | 37.50 |
| Slovenia |
11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 13 | +7 | 54.55 |
| Spain |
9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 19 | −12 | 11.11 |
| Sweden |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 50.00 |
| Switzerland |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | −4 | 40.00 |
 Togo U23 |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 |
 Turkey |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 0.00 |
 Ukraine |
7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 28.57 |
| United Arab Emirates U23 |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 100.00 |
| Total: 54 teams played | 235 | 114 | 53 | 68 | 421 | 261 | +160 | 48.51 |
Source: Croatian Football Federation
See also
- Croatia national football team
- Croatia national football B team
- Croatia national under-23 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
- Croatia women's national football team
- Croatia women's national under-19 football team
- Croatia women's national under-17 football team
- Croatia women's national under-15 football team
