Football in Croatia in the context of "GNK Dinamo Zagreb"

The Croatia national football team (Croatian: Hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija) represents Croatia in men's international football matches. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), the governing body for football in Croatia. It is a member of UEFA in Europe and FIFA in global competition. The team's colours reference two national symbols: the Croatian checkerboard and the country's tricolour. They are colloquially known as the Vatreni (Blazers) and the Kockasti (Checkered Ones).

Since 2000, the Vatreni have qualified for every major tournament except UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. At the World Cup, Croatia has finished second once (2018) and third on two occasions (1998, 2022), securing three World Cup medals. Davor Šuker won the Golden Shoe and the Silver Ball in 1998, while Luka Modrić won the Golden Ball in 2018 and the Bronze Ball in 2022. The team has reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Championship twice (1996, 2008). They finished second in the UEFA Nations League in 2023.

The Croatian Football Federation (Croatian: Hrvatski nogometni savez, HNS) is the national governing body of football in Croatia. It was originally formed in 1912 and is based in the capital city of Zagreb. The organisation is a member of both FIFA and UEFA, and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football in Croatia. Marijan Kustić has served as president of the federation since 2021.

The HNS sanctions all competitive football matches in Croatia, beginning with the HNL down to 3. NL, as well as the Croatian Cup, while low-tiered leagues are sanctioned by inter-county and county associations. It is also responsible for appointing the management of the men's, women's and youth national football teams. As of 2009, the HNS had 118,316 registered players (650 of them professionals) and a total of 1,732 registered association football and futsal clubs.