Croatia women's national football team
| 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 (12 June 2025)[1] | ||
| Highest | 44 (July 2003 – June 2005) | ||
| Lowest | 65 (November 2010; July 2011) | ||
| First international | |||
| Slovenia 3–2 (Ižakovci, Slovenia; 28 October 1993) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| 8–2 Slovenia (Kecskemét, Hungary; 27 May 2001) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Romania 10–0 (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
| 23 February 2023–24 UEFA Nations League play-offs | 0–3 | Norway | Osijek, Croatia | |
| Report | Stadium: Opus Arena Referee: Abigail Byrne (England) |
| 27 February 2023–24 UEFA Nations League play-offs | Norway | 5–0 (8–0 agg.) | 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. | ||||
| 5 April Euro 2025 qualifying | Wales | 4–0 | Wrexham | |
| Report | Stadium: Racecourse Ground Referee: Zuzana Valentová (Slovakia) |
| 9 April Euro 2025 qualifying | 1–0 | Ukraine | Zaprešić | |
| Report | Stadium: Ivan Laljak-Ivić Stadium Referee: Zulema González (Spain) |
| 31 May UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying | Kosovo | 0–1 | Podujevo, Kosovo | |
| 17:00 | Report | Rudelić 58' | Stadium: Zahir Pajaziti Stadium Referee: Kristina Georgieva (Bulgaria) |
| 4 June UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying | 2–0 | Kosovo | Karlovac, Croatia | |
| Rudelić 15' Marković 74' |
Report | Stadium: Stadion Branko Čavlović-Čavlek Referee: Michaela Pachtová (Czech Republic) |
| 12 July Euro 2025 qualifying | 0–3 | Wales | Karlovac, Croatia | |
| Report | Stadium: Stadion Branko Čavlović-Čavlek |
| 16 July Euro 2025 qualifying | Ukraine | 2–0 | Skopje, North Macedonia | |
| 19:00 | Report | Stadium: Petar Miloševski Training Centre |
| 25 October 2024 Euro 2025 qualifying play-off | 1–1 | Northern Ireland | Varaždin, Croatia | |
| 18:00 CEST (UTC+01:00) | Lojna 4' (pen.) | Report | Lojna 90+2' (o.g.) | Stadium: Stadion Varteks |
| 29 October 2024 Euro 2025 qualifying play-off | Northern Ireland | 1–0 (a.e.t.) (2–1 agg.) | Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| 20:00 CEST (UTC+01:00) |
|
Report | Stadium: Windsor Park |
| 30 November Friendly | 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 | 0–4 | Czech Republic | Stadion Aldo Drosina, Pula | |
| 19:00 | Report |
|
Attendance: 327 Referee: Abigail Byrne (England) |
| 25 February 2025 UEFA Nations League | Ukraine | 2–1 | 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 | Shkodër,Albania | |
| 16:00 | Report | Stadium: Loro Boriçi Stadium Attendance: 436 Referee: Alexandra Collin (France) |
| 8 April 2025 Nations League B | 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 | Chomutov, Czech Republic | |
| 17:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: Letní stadion Referee: Karoline Wacker (Germany) |
| 3 June 2025 Nations League B | 2–0 | Ukraine | Karlovac,Croitia | |
| 19:00 |
|
Report | Stadium: Stadion Branko Čavlović-Čavlek Attendance: 238 Referee: Deborah Anex (Switzerland) |
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
Players with at least 20 appearances -> List of Croatia women's international footballers
Current squad
The following players were called up for the UEFA Women's Nations League matches against the Czech Republic and Ukraine on 30 May and 3 June 2025. [3]
Caps and goals are correct as of 3 June 2025, after the match against Ukraine. [4]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Doris Bačić | 23 February 1995 | 90 | 0 | Napoli |
| 12 | GK | Lana Klobučarević | 17 June 2008 | 0 | 0 | Agram |
| 23 | GK | Stephanie Bukovec | 22 September 1995 | 6 | 0 | Calgary Wild |
| 2 | DF | Barbara Živković | 15 February 2005 | 6 | 1 | Osijek |
| 3 | DF | Lucia Orkić | 22 June 2005 | 5 | 0 | Bergheim |
| 4 | DF | Leonarda Balog | 5 February 1993 | 78 | 1 | St. Pölten |
| 5 | DF | Kristina Nevrkla | 5 July 1990 | 104 | 5 | Osijek |
| 6 | DF | Tea Vračević | 25 April 2006 | 14 | 1 | St. Pölten |
| 14 | DF | Antonia Dulčić | 4 February 1997 | 40 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
| 15 | DF | Maria Kunštek | 6 November 1998 | 34 | 0 | Växjö DFF |
| 16 | DF | Nina Varga | 20 August 2005 | 1 | 0 | Međimurje |
| 17 | DF | Ana Bakalar | 27 November 2000 | 2 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
| 19 | DF | Janja Čanjevac | 14 November 2000 | 21 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
| 20 | DF | Ana Grdiša | 16 April 2007 | 2 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| 8 | MF | Bianca Galić | 14 May 1999 | 6 | 0 | Central Coast Mariners |
| 10 | MF | Izabela Lojna | 11 May 1992 | 97 | 14 | Osijek |
| 13 | MF | Helena Spajić | 8 February 2000 | 28 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| 18 | MF | Karla Kurkutović | 27 December 2001 | 0 | 0 | Honvéd |
| 22 | MF | Lucija Vunić | 18 February 2006 | 1 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| MF | Helena Damjanović | 23 September 2005 | 0 | 0 | Međimurje | |
| 7 | FW | Petra Mikulica | 2 February 2005 | 16 | 0 | Grasshopper |
| 9 | FW | Ivana Rudelić | 25 January 1992 | 60 | 20 | Basel |
| 11 | FW | Antea Guvo | 10 November 2004 | 5 | 0 | Peamount United |
| 21 | FW | Marija Došen | 3 June 2008 | 1 | 0 | Unattached |
| FW | Karla Jedvaj | 16 November 2000 | 17 | 0 | Blau-Weiß Linz | |
| FW | Paula Vidović | 16 June 2003 | 9 | 0 | FC Ingolstadt | |
Recent call-ups
The following players were called up to the squad within the last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Nika Radolović | 22 April 2008 | 2 | 0 | Istra 1961 | v. Albania, 8 April 2025 |
| GK | Ana Filipović | 4 July 2003 | 1 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb | v. Albania, 8 April 2025 |
| GK | Ana Ristovski | 20 January 2008 | 0 | 0 | Hajduk Split | v. Albania, 8 April 2025 |
| GK | Victoria Šafradin | 23 April 2005 | 0 | 0 | Virginia Cavaliers | v. Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| GK | Carlotta Sesjak | 24 April 2006 | 0 | 0 | SGS Essen II | v. Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| GK | Laura Fiket | 5 June 2002 | 0 | 0 | FK Ljuboten | v. Kosovo, 4 June 2024 |
| DF | Ana Jelenčić | 8 June 1994 | 61 | 1 | Servette | v. Albania, 8 April 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 | Maja Joščak | 4 August 1990 | 86 | 20 | Osijek | v. Albania, 8 April 2025 |
| MF | Ivana Slipčević | 23 August 1998 | 24 | 2 | FC Ingolstadt | v. Albania, 8 April 2025 |
| MF | Ana Jakobašić | 4 March 2004 | 3 | 0 | Hajduk Split | v. Albania, 8 April 2025 |
| MF | Laura Vlastelica | 2 December 2005 | 0 | 0 | Hajduk Split | v. Albania, 8 April 2025 |
| MF | Anela Lubina | 18 December 1995 | 50 | 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 | 28 October 1998 | 53 | 2 | SFK 2000 | v. Slovenia, 30 November 2024 |
| MF | Matea Bošnjak INJ | 21 December 1997 | 35 | 2 | Hajduk Split | v. Northern Ireland, 29 October 2024 |
| MF | Ružica Krajinović | 8 January 2002 | 15 | 1 | Sturm Graz | v. Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| MF | Ella Ljuština | 10 May 2002 | 15 | 1 | Grasshopper | v. Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| MF | Antea Batarilo | 2 October 2005 | 0 | 0 | Austria Wien | v. Ukraine, 12 July 2024 |
| MF | Ivana Kirilenko | 21 June 2000 | 9 | 0 | Osijek | v. Kosovo, 4 June 2024 |
| MF | Fatjesa Gegollaj | 5 November 2001 | 17 | 1 | Al-Ula | v. Ukraine, 9 April 2024 |
| MF | Veronika Terzić | 16 February 2000 | 4 | 0 | Sarajevo | v. Ukraine, 9 April 2024 |
| FW | Ana Maria Marković | 9 November 1999 | 25 | 2 | Braga | v. Albania, 8 April 2025 |
| FW | Ana Dujmović | 21 February 1996 | 17 | 0 | Agram | v. Albania, 8 April 2025 |
| FW | Jelena Đorđić | 27 July 2001 | 4 | 1 | USV Neulengbach | v. Czech Republic, 21 February 2025 |
| FW | Andrea Glibo | 5 April 2002 | 17 | 0 | St. Pölten | v. Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| FW | Andrea Iljkić | 6 October 2004 | 0 | 0 | LSU Tigers | v. Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| ||||||
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 | To be determined | 2025 | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 23rd | 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 | 2–1 Romania (Varaždin, Croatia; 22 September 2023) |
| Biggest win | 2–0 Slovakia (Velika Gorica, Croatia; 1 December 2023) |
| Biggest defeat | Slovakia 4–0 (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. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 12 June 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 utakmice protiv Češke i Ukrajine" [Nenad Gračan announces list of players for matches against Czech Republic and Ukraine] (in Croatian). Hrvatskog Nogometnog Saveza. 23 May 2025.
- ^ Croatia Team