# Croatia women's national football team

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
## 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:

## Players
### Current squad

Players with at least 20 appearances -> List of Croatia women's international footballers
* The following players were called up for the Friendly matches against Slovenia in December 2024.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 1 | 1GK | Doris Bačić | (1995-02-23) 23 February 1995 (age 30) | 77 | 0 | Napoli |
| 12 | 1GK | Ana Filipović | (2003-07-04) 4 July 2003 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| 12 | 1GK | Ana Ristovski | | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 2DF | Ana Jelenčić | (1994-06-08) 8 June 1994 (age 30) | 47 | 1 | Servette |
| 5 | 2DF | Kristina Nevrkla | (2003-06-17) 17 June 2003 (age 21) | 88 | 4 | Osijek |
| | 2DF | Janja Čanjevac | (1999-08-08) 8 August 1999 (age 25) | 9 | 0 | Hajduk Split |
| 12 | 2DF | Nina Varga | | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | 2DF | Tijan Sally Mckenna | | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | 2DF | Maria Kunštek | (1998-11-06) 6 November 1998 (age 26) | 28 | 0 | Växjö DFF |
| 4 | 2DF | Lucia Orkić | (2005-06-22) 22 June 2005 (age 19) | | | Bergheim [de] |
| 12 | 2DF | Lucia Ivona Duras | | 0 | 0 | |
| | 2DF | Barbara Živković | (2005-02-15) 15 February 2005 (age 20) | | | Osijek |
| 22 | 3MF | Izabela Lojna | (1992-05-11) 11 May 1992 (age 32) | 81 | 12 | Osijek |
| 11 | 3MF | Ivana Slipčević | (1998-08-23) 23 August 1998 (age 26) | 11 | 0 | FC Ingolstadt |
| 13 | 3MF | Helena Spajić | (2000-02-08) 8 February 2000 (age 25) | 25 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb |
| 7 | 3MF | Petra Pezelj | (1998-10-28) 28 October 1998 (age 26) | 41 | 2 | Unattached |
| 22 | 3MF | Maja Joščak | | | | Osijek |
| 6 | 3MF | Tea Krznarić | (2004-08-09) 9 August 2004 (age 20) | 14 | 0 | St. Pölten |
| 10 | 3MF | Anela Lubina | (1995-12-18) 18 December 1995 (age 29) | 43 | 2 | Osijek |
| 9 | 4FW | Ivana Rudelić | (1992-01-25) 25 January 1992 (age 33) | 44 | 17 | Basel |
| | 4FW | Ana Maria Marković | (1999-11-09) 9 November 1999 (age 25) | 12 | 1 | Braga |
| 11 | 4FW | Petra Mikulica | (2005-02-02) 2 February 2005 (age 20) | | | Grasshopper |
| 17 | 4FW | Karla Jedvaj | (2000-11-16) 16 November 2000 (age 24) | 13 | 0 | SPG FC Blau-Weiß Linz/Union Kleinmünchen |
| 17 | 4FW | Antea Guvo | | | 0 | |

### Recent call-ups

    The following players were named to a squad in the last 12 months.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
| GK | Danijela Vidović | (2003-06-05) 5 June 2003 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | Donat | Slovakia, 26 September 2023 |
| GK | Laura Fiket | (2002-06-05) 5 June 2002 (age 22) | 0 | 0 | Unattached | Kosovo, 4 June 2024 |
| GK | Carlotta Sesjak | (2006-04-24) 24 April 2006 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | SGS Essen II | Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| GK | Victoria Šafradin | (2005-04-23) 23 April 2005 (age 19) | 0 | 0 | Virginia Cavaliers | Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| GK | Nika Radolović | (2008-04-22) 22 April 2008 (age 16) | 0 | 0 | Istra 1961 | Northern Ireland,29 October 2024 |
| DF | Leonarda Balog | (1993-02-05) 5 February 1993 (age 32) | 65 | 1 | St. Pölten | Ukraine, 9 April 2024 |
| DF | Lucia Domazet | (2003-06-17) 17 June 2003 (age 21) | 10 | 0 | Eintracht Frankfurt II | Norway, 5 April 2024 |
| DF | Antonia Dulčić | (1997-02-04) 4 February 1997 (age 28) | 24 | 0 | Hajduk Split | Northern Ireland,29 October 2024 |
| DF | Tea Vračević | (2006-04-25) 25 April 2006 (age 18) | | | St. Pölten | Northern Ireland,29 October 2024 |
| MF | Fatjesa Gegollaj | (2001-11-05) 5 November 2001 (age 23) | | | Al-Ula | Ukraine, 9 April 2024 |
| MF | Ivana Kirilenko | (2000-06-21) 21 June 2000 (age 24) | 8 | 0 | Osijek | Ukraine, 9 April 2024 |
| MF | Veronika Terzić | (2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 (age 25) | | | Sarajevo | Ukraine, 9 April 2024 |
| MF | Mia Došen | (2003-09-25) 25 September 2003 (age 21) | | | Parkside Rangers | Slovakia, 26 September 2023 |
| MF | Ružica Krajinović | (2002-05-10) 10 May 2002 (age 22) | 7 | 0 | Sturm Graz | Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| MF | Ella Ljuština | (2002-05-10) 10 May 2002 (age 22) | 11 | 1 | Grasshopper | Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| MF | Antea Batarilo | (2005-10-02) 2 October 2005 (age 19) | | | Austria Wien [de] | Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| MF | Matea Bošnjak | | | | Split | Northern Ireland,29 October 2024 |
| MF | Bianca Galić | (1999-05-14) 14 May 1999 (age 25) | | | Central Coast Mariners | Northern Ireland,29 October 2024 |
| FW | Nika Petarić | (2002-06-02) 2 June 2002 (age 22) | 2 | 0 | Dinamo Zagreb | Romania, 5 December 2023 |
| FW | Selma Pajazetović | (1996-05-03) 3 May 1996 (age 28) | 2 | 0 | SCR Altach | Slovakia, 26 September 2023 |
| FW | Paula Vidović | (2003-06-16) 16 June 2003 (age 21) | | | FC Ingolstadt | Kosovo, 4 June 2024 |
| FW | Andrea Glibo | (2002-04-05) 5 April 2002 (age 22) | 5 | 0 | St. Pölten | Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| FW | Andrea Iljkić | (2004-10-06) 6 October 2004 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | LSU Tigers | Ukraine, 16 July 2024 |
| FW | Jelena Đorđić | (2002-01-27) 27 January 2002 (age 23) | | | USV Neulengbach | Northern Ireland,29 October 2024 |
| $^{INJ}$ = Withdrew due to injury $^{PRE}$ = Preliminary squad $^{WD}$ = Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue $^{RET}$ = Retired from the national team |||||||

## 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 | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | FIFA Women's World Cup record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record |
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1991 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | | | | | | | |
| 1995 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | | | | | | | |
| 1999 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | | | | | | | |
| 2003 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2/5 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 11 |
| 2007 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2/4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 11 |
| 2011 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6/6 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 27 |
| 2015 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4/6 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
| 2019 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 5/5 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 20 |
| 2023 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4/6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 18 |
| 2027 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | 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 | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | UEFA Women's Championship record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification record | Qualification 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 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | | | | | | | | | |
| 1979 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | | | | | | | | | |
| 1984 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | | | | | | | | | |
| 1987 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | | | | | | | | | |
| 1989 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | | | | | | | | | |
| 1991 | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Yugoslavia | | | | | | | | | |
| 1993 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | | | | | | | | | |
| 1995 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2/4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 18 | – | – |
| 1997 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4/4 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 23 | – | – |
| 2001 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4/4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 19 | – | – |
| 2005 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3/5 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 22 | – | – |
| 2009 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3/4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 6 | – | – |
| 2013 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 5/5 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 26 | – | – |
| 2017 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4/5 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 15 | – | – |
| 2022 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4/5 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 19 | – | – |
| 2025 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3/4 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 | | 25th |
| 2029 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | | 0/10 | | | | | | | — | 0/9 | 55 | 14 | 6 | 35 | 64 | 148 | 25th | 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 | UEFA Women's Nations League | UEFA Women's Nations League | UEFA Women's Nations League | UEFA Women's Nations League | UEFA Women's Nations League | UEFA Women's Nations League | UEFA Women's Nations League | UEFA Women's Nations League | UEFA Women's Nations League | UEFA Women's Nations League | UEFA Women's Nations League | Finals record | Finals record | Finals record | Finals record | Finals record | Finals record | Finals record | Finals record | 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 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2025 | B | 4 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | 2025 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| Total | Total | Total | Total | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 23rd | 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 | Croatia 2–1 Romania (Varaždin, Croatia; 22 September 2023) |
| Biggest win | Croatia 2–0 Slovakia (Velika Gorica, Croatia; 1 December 2023) |
| 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– |
| 1 | Maja Joščak | 20 | 79 | 0.25 | 2006– |
| 3 | Katarina Kolar | 16 | 40 | 0.4 | 2006–2014 |
| 4 | Izabela Lojna | 14 | 90 | 0.16 | 2010– |
| 4 | Iva Landeka | 14 | 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 |
| 9 | Kristina Šundov | 8 | 59 | 0.14 | 2002–2016 |