The Croatian Football Cup (), also metonymically referred to as Rabuzin's Sun () after its trophy named after Ivan Rabuzin, is an annually held football tournament for Croatian football clubs and is the second most important competition in Croatian football after the HNL championship. It is governed by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) and usually runs from late August to late May. Cup winners automatically qualify for next season's UEFA Europa League, except when cup winners are also Prva HNL champions, in which case their berth in the Europa Conference League goes to the best-placed team in the Prva HNL who have not qualified for the UEFA competitions through their league performance.
The cup was established in 1992, after Croatian clubs had abandoned the Yugoslav First League and Yugoslav Cup competitions following the breakup of Yugoslavia. As of the most recent 2021–22 season a total of 31 cup seasons were held. The competition has historically been dominated by the two Eternal Derby sides—the most successful club is Dinamo Zagreb (formerly known in the 1990s as HAŠK Građanski and Croatia Zagreb) who appeared in 23 finals and won 16 titles, followed by Hajduk Split who won 8 titles out of 13 finals they appeared in.
Either Dinamo or Hajduk appeared in all but four cup finals (in 1999, 2006, 2020 and 2025) and only three other clubs have won the cup—Rijeka (seven wins), Inter Zaprešić (one win) and Osijek (one win). Although clubs can qualify for the cup via regional county cups, which are usually contested by second-, third- or fourth-level sides, Uljanik Pula in 2003 was the only team in the history of the competition to have reached the cup final from outside the top level.
Format Entries Although in theory any club can take part in the cup, 48 teams enter the competition proper, based on three criteria: Top sixteen best-ranked teams according to club coefficient calculated by the Croatian Football Federation which take into account their cup records in the previous five seasons Twenty-one club winners of regional cups organised in each of 21 counties of Croatia Eleven regional cup finalists, from the top 11 counties with the greatest number of active football clubs registered
Competition system The 32 clubs which qualify via regional cups always enter in the preliminary round, which consists of 16 single-legged fixtures. In case of a draw at the end of normal time, thirty minutes of extra time is played, and if scores are still level, a penalty shootout is held to determine the winner of the tie. Sixteen winners of the preliminary ties go on to the first round proper (round of 32), where they are joined by the sixteen best-ranked clubs according to cup coefficient (this usually means all First League clubs and a handful of best-ranked lower level teams). Round of 32 (R1) and round of 16 (R2) are also played as single-legged fixtures. Until the 2014–15 season, from the quarter-finals onward, the competition employed a two-legged tie format, with winners progressing through on aggregate score. Since 2015–16, quarter-finals are also played as single-legged fixtures and, since 2017–18, the same applies for semi-finals. In case the score is still level at the end of regular time, extra time is played. If the score remains level after extra time, a penalty shootout takes place to determine tie winners. With the exception of 1997 and 1999 finals, all finals were also played as two-legged fixtures until the rules were most recently changed for the 2014–15 season and a single-match final was made permanent.
Croatian club cup coefficient Clubs are awarded points for participation in specific round of the Cup. There are two exceptions in awarding points, first is clubs from preliminary round doesn't receive any points and second is a final where winner receives double of runner up. Points are summed through the season and added to five year ranking.
RoundAwarded clubsPointsAccumulativePreliminary round1600First round1611Second round823Quarter-finals447Semi-finals2815Runner up11631Winner13263
Points used in this ranking will be used for qualification for the 2027–28 season and seeding for the season 2026–27. RankClub2021−222022–23 2023−242024–252025–26Total1Rijeka3133163311592Dinamo Zagreb715637631553Hajduk Split636315771554Slaven Belupo71533115715Gorica1537715476Osijek1577153477Lokomotiva771577438Šibenik331131399Istra 19617331533110Varaždin337372311Rudeš377332312BSK Bijelo Brdo371131513Mladost Ždralovi33331214Oriolik31311915Cibalia1133816Karlovac 1919133717Bjelovar133718 Belišće31111719Kurilovec7720Bednja113521 Jaska Vinogradar1111422Split13423Dugopolje13424Vukovar 199131425Radnik Križevci31426Slavonija Požega31427Varteks13428Rudar Labin3329Jadran LP3330Nedelišće3331Jadran Poreč111332 Zagreb11233Inter Zaprešić (defunct)11234Primorac Biograd11235Papuk Orahovica11236Moslavina11237Pitomača11238Gaj Mače11239Libertas Novska11240Dugo Selo11241Solin11242Sesvete1143Croatia Zmijavci1144Bilogora 911145Vuteks Sloga1146Zagora Unešić1147Omladinac1148Ponikve1149Kutjevo1150Zagorec1151Bistra1152Tehničar Cvetkovec1153Borinci1154Grobničan1155Dubrava1156 Nehaj1157Međimurje1158Orijent 19191159Dinamo Predavac1160Maksimir1161Koprivnica1162Graničar Kotoriba1163Neretva1164Uljanik Pula1165Samobor1166Neretvanac Opuzen1167Banjole1168Đakovo Croatia1169Tomislav Donji Andrijevci1170Kustošija1171Zrinski Osječko 166411
Seeding for 2026−27 Cup
List of winners
Key (R)ReplayTwo-legged tie*Match went to extra timeMatch decided by a penalty shoot-out (from 2015 after extra time)Winning team won The DoubleItalicsTeam from outside the top level of Croatian football
List of winners SeasonWinnersScoreRunners–upVenue(s)1992Inker Zaprešić 2–1HAŠK GrađanskiStadion ŠRC Zaprešić; Stadion Maksimir1992–93Hajduk Split 5–3Croatia ZagrebStadion Poljud; Stadion Maksimir1993–94Croatia Zagreb 2–1RijekaStadion Maksimir; Stadion Kantrida1994–95Hajduk Split 4–2Croatia ZagrebStadion Poljud; Stadion Maksimir1995–96Croatia Zagreb 3–0VarteksStadion Varteks; Stadion Maksimir1996–97Croatia Zagreb 2–1NK ZagrebStadion Maksimir1997–98Croatia Zagreb 3–1VarteksStadion Varteks; Stadion Maksimir1998–99Osijek 2–1 *CibaliaStadion Maksimir1999–2000Hajduk Split 2–1Dinamo ZagrebStadion Poljud; Stadion Maksimir2000–01Dinamo Zagreb 3–0Hajduk SplitStadion Poljud; Stadion Maksimir2001–02Dinamo Zagreb 2–1VarteksStadion Maksimir; Stadion Varteks2002–03Hajduk Split 5–0Uljanik PulaStadion Aldo Drosina; Stadion Poljud2003–04Dinamo Zagreb 1–1 (a)VarteksStadion Varteks; Stadion Maksimir2004–05Rijeka 3–1Hajduk SplitStadion Kantrida; Stadion Poljud2005–06Rijeka 5–5 (a)VarteksStadion Kantrida; Stadion Varteks2006–07Dinamo Zagreb 2–1Slaven BelupoStadion Maksimir; Gradski stadion (Koprivnica)2007–08Dinamo Zagreb 3–0Hajduk SplitStadion Maksimir; Stadion Poljud2008–09Dinamo Zagreb 3–3 (4–3 p) Hajduk SplitStadion Maksimir; Stadion Poljud2009–10Hajduk Split 4–1ŠibenikStadion Poljud; Stadion Šubićevac2010–11Dinamo Zagreb 8–2VaraždinStadion Maksimir; Stadion Varteks2011–12Dinamo Zagreb 3–1OsijekStadion Gradski vrt; Stadion Maksimir2012–13Hajduk Split 5–4LokomotivaStadion Poljud; Stadion Maksimir2013–14Rijeka 3–0Dinamo ZagrebStadion Maksimir; Stadion Kantrida2014−15Dinamo Zagreb 0–0 (4–2 p) RNK SplitStadion Maksimir2015–16Dinamo Zagreb 2–1Slaven BelupoStadion Gradski vrt2016–17Rijeka 3–1Dinamo ZagrebStadion Varteks2017–18Dinamo Zagreb 1–0Hajduk SplitStadion HNK Cibalia2018–19Rijeka 3–1Dinamo ZagrebStadion Aldo Drosina2019–20Rijeka 1–0LokomotivaStadion Šubićevac2020–21Dinamo Zagreb 6–3Istra 1961Gradski stadion Velika Gorica2021–22Hajduk Split 3–1RijekaStadion Poljud2022–23Hajduk Split 2–0ŠibenikStadion Rujevica2023–24Dinamo Zagreb 3–1RijekaStadion Maksimir; Stadion Rujevica2024–25Rijeka 2–1Slaven BelupoGradski stadion (Koprivnica); Stadion Rujevica2025–26Dinamo Zagreb 2−0RijekaOpus Arena
Results by team ClubWinnersLast final wonRunners-upLast final lostDinamo Zagreb18202672019Hajduk Split8202352018Rijeka7202542026Osijek1199912012Inter Zaprešić119920Varaždin062011Slaven Belupo032025Lokomotiva022020Istra 19610 22021Šibenik0 22023NK Zagreb011997Cibalia011999RNK Split012015
Winning managers FinalWinning managerWinning clubLosing managerLosing club1992Inker Zaprešić HAŠK Građanski1993Hajduk Split Croatia Zagreb1994Croatia ZagrebRijeka1995Hajduk Split Croatia Zagreb1996Croatia ZagrebVarteks1997Croatia ZagrebNK Zagreb1998Croatia ZagrebVarteks1999Osijek Cibalia2000Hajduk Split Dinamo Zagreb2001Dinamo ZagrebHajduk Split 2002Dinamo ZagrebVarteks 2003Hajduk Split Uljanik Pula 2004Dinamo ZagrebVarteks 2005RijekaHajduk Split 2006RijekaVarteks 2007Dinamo ZagrebSlaven Belupo 2008Dinamo ZagrebHajduk Split 2009Dinamo ZagrebHajduk Split 2010Hajduk Split Šibenik2011Dinamo ZagrebVaraždin2012Dinamo ZagrebOsijek2013Hajduk Split Lokomotiva2014RijekaDinamo Zagreb2015Dinamo ZagrebRNK Split 2016Dinamo ZagrebSlaven Belupo 2017RijekaDinamo Zagreb 2018Dinamo Zagreb Hajduk Split 2019RijekaDinamo Zagreb 2020RijekaLokomotiva 2021Dinamo ZagrebIstra 1961 2022Hajduk SplitRijeka2023Hajduk SplitŠibenik2024Dinamo ZagrebRijeka2025RijekaSlaven Belupo
By individual Rank Name Winners Club(s) Winning years1 Ivan Katalinić Hajduk Split 1993, 1995 Zlatko Kranjčar Croatia Zagreb 1996, 1998 Ilija Lončarević Inker Zaprešić, Dinamo Zagreb 1992, 2001 Stanko Poklepović Osijek, Hajduk Split 1999, 2010 Zoran Mamić Dinamo Zagreb 2015, 2016 Matjaž Kek Rijeka 2014, 2017
Footnotes
A. Originally called Dinamo Zagreb, the club was renamed "HAŠK Građanski" in 1992, and then again "Croatia Zagreb" in the winter break of the 1992–93 season. The club reverted to its original name in February 2000. B. Inter Zaprešić was known by its sponsored name "Inker Zaprešić" (sometimes spelled "INKER") from 1991 to 2003. C. Varaždin were known as "Varteks" from 1958 to 2010. D. Istra 1961 was formerly known as "Uljanik Pula" (before 2003), "Pula 1856" (2003–05), "Pula Staro Češko" (2005–06), and "NK Pula" (2006–07) before adopting their current name in 2007. They are not to be confused with their cross-city rivals NK Istra. E. Slaven Belupo based in Koprivnica were formerly known as "Slaven" until 1992. From 1992 to 1994 they were called "Slaven Bilokalnik" before adopting their current name for sponsorship reasons. Since UEFA does not approve sponsored club names, the club is listed as "Slaven Koprivnica" in European competitions and on UEFA's website. F. Vahid Halilhodžić was in charge of Dinamo Zagreb in the first leg of 2011 Croatian Football Cup Final.
References
External links Croatian Football Cup results at Sportnet.hr Cup at UEFA League321.com - National cup results.