The new season of Croatian football brings many exciting moments and numerous challenges for clubs, players, and fans alike. The Croatian Football League, also known as SuperSport HNL, is entering its 35th season, with ten clubs competing.
In this league, each team plays every other team four times, resulting in a total of 36 rounds split into autumn and spring segments. The season officially begins on August 1, 2025, and is scheduled to conclude in May 2026.
This season, we have a new top-flight team—HNK Vukovar 1991—which will make its debut in the highest rank of Croatian football. Their very first match will be an away game in Zagreb against Lokomotiva, which adds an extra layer of interest to the championship. The current reigning champion is HNK Rijeka.
When it comes to title favorites, bookmakers and football analysts most often highlight Dinamo Zagreb and HNK Rijeka as the leading contenders. Rijeka starts this season as the holder of the domestic double crown, having won both the league and the cup last year, while Dinamo has strengthened its squad and has a long-standing tradition of success. It is also worth mentioning Hajduk Split and Osijek, who are always competitive and ready to fight for top positions. The newly promoted Vukovar 1991, although a debutant, brings additional unpredictability to the league, even though its chances for the title are realistically lower compared to the established clubs.
In the context of the Croatian Cup, HNK Rijeka, as last year’s winner, automatically ranks among the main favorites, but the cup competition is well known for its unpredictability. Upsets happen often, and “smaller” clubs can sometimes surpass the favorites and reach the final stages of the competition. Besides sporting prestige, the Cup winner also earns a place in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
According to the competition system, the team finishing last in the HNL is directly relegated to the Prva NL, which is the second tier of Croatian football. The champion of the Prva NL earns direct promotion to the top division. In the current season, there will be no additional playoffs for the ninth-placed top-flight team, as this model will come into effect from next season. Regarding European competitions, Croatia will have several representatives: the HNL champion advances to the Champions League qualifiers, while the runner-up and the Cup winner enter the Europa League qualifiers. Another club, based on the UEFA coefficient system, is granted a spot in the Conference League.
The Croatian football cup brings together as many as 48 clubs from across the country. Sixteen teams with the best HNS coefficients enter the competition directly, while the others, mostly winners and runners-up of county cups, start in the preliminary round. All Cup matches are played as single-leg knockouts, adding to the drama of the event. The home advantage is given to the team from the lower league or the weaker-seeded side, unless otherwise decided in the draw.
When it comes to TV rights and following the matches, exclusive broadcast rights for the HNL and domestic cup belong to MAX Sport (MAXtv), which means all matches can be watched exclusively on that platform. This allows viewers to follow every vital game in one place.
Finally, several interesting facts related to Croatian football are worth mentioning. Despite its small population, Croatia consistently produces top-class footballers who successfully play for some of the biggest European clubs. The national team boasts a World Cup silver and bronze from 2018 and 2022, as well as a silver medal in the 2023 Nations League. The domestic league continues to improve in quality, and Dinamo and Rijeka regularly record excellent performances in European competitions. In the new season, Rijeka will attempt to defend both trophies, while Dinamo and Hajduk will aim to restore past glory with new signings and acquisitions. Meanwhile, Vukovar 1991 will make history with its first appearance in the elite division.
Given the numerous changes, clear sporting rules, growing interest among fans, and increasingly intense competition, Croatian football is in for an exciting and unpredictable season. MAX Sport remains the central hub for everyone wanting to follow top-quality domestic football. On the pitch, we can expect a fierce battle for trophies, new faces, homegrown talents, and a continued passion for the “most important unimportant thing in the world.”
