The Croatia men's national basketball team () represents Croatia in international basketball matches. The team is controlled by the Croatian Basketball Federation (HKS).Naslovnica – Hrvatski košarkaški savez
The biggest success Croatia has achieved was at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics when the team reached the final against the United States and won the silver medal. Croatia has also won one bronze medal at the FIBA World Cup and two bronze medals at EuroBasket.
Croatia's Krešimir Ćosić, Dražen Petrović, Dino Rađa, Mirko Novosel and Toni Kukoč are members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Ćosić was inducted in 1996, Petrović in 2002, Rađa in 2018 and Kukoč in 2021, all as players. Novosel was inducted in 2007 as a coach. Petrović, Ćosić, Kukoč and Novosel are members of the FIBA Hall of Fame. Ćosić is also the only Croatian to have received the FIBA Order of Merit. Ćosić, however, never played for the Croatia national team. As he was only a member of the Yugoslavia national team, holding the record for number of medals (including Olympic gold) and the most games played by a player.
History Prior to Croatian independence Croatia played its first unofficial friendly game on 2 June 1964 in Karlovac. Croatian team played against US All Star Team and lost 65–110 (31–50). USA players coached by Red Auerbach were Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, K. C. Jones, Jerry Lucas, Bob Pettit, Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell and Croatian team was Giuseppe Gjergja, Nemanja Đurić, Živko Kasun, Zlatko Kiseljak, Slobodan Kolaković, Dragan Kovačić, Boris Križan, Stjepan Ledić, Mirko Novosel, Marko Ostarčević, Petar Skansi and Željko Troskot.
Independent Croatia After independence of Croatia in 1991, the first official tournament played by Croatians were the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Croatia defeated the CIS team 75–74 and reached the final against the USA Dream Team led by Michael Jordan. The USA won 85–117, but Croatia won its first medal at a major tournament in history.
The next competition for Croatia was the 1993 EuroBasket in Germany. Tragically, before the tournament Dražen Petrović died in a car accident on 7 June 1993 at the age of 28. Croatia still managed to reach the bronze medal game to defeat Greece 99–59.
Croatia earned its third medal at the 1994 FIBA World Cup in Canada. Croatia lost their semi-finals match against Russia 64–66, but beat Greece once again 78–60 for the bronze medal. A similar occurrence happened at the EuroBasket 1995 in Greece. Croatia lost in the semi-finals 80–90 against Lithuania, but beat Greece 73–68 for the third time in a row in a bronze medal match. That medal to date was the last Croatian medal from any major tournament. At the 1996 Summer Olympics Croatia finished in a subpar seventh place.
Decline At the EuroBasket 1997 in Spain, the new Croatian generation emerged, but ended in 11th place. Croatia failed to qualify for the 2000, 2004, 2012, 2020, 2024 Summer Olympics, but finished sixth at the 2008 and fifth at the 2016. Croatia also failed to qualify for the 1998, 2002, 2006, 2019 and 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cups. They also failed to qualify for their first ever Eurobasket in 2025. Although the team did manage to qualify in 2010, before falling in the Round of 16. However, at the EuroBasket 2013, Croatia had its best tournament appearance since 1995, where the team finished in fourth place.
Honours The Croatia national team's all-time medal table: GamesGoldSilverBronzeTotalSummer Olympics0101FIBA World Cup0011EuroBasket0022Mediterranean Games1102Stanković Cup2103Total3339
Competitive record
FIBA World Cup World CupQualificationYearPosition1950 to 1990Part of YugoslaviaPart of Yugoslavia 1994871EuroBasket servedas qualifiers 1998Did not qualify 2002 2006 201014th624 201410th633 2019Did not qualify1248 2023615 2027To be determinedTo be determined 2031Total3/82012818 5 13
Olympic Games Olympic GamesQualifyingYearPosition1936 to 1988Part of YugoslaviaPart of Yugoslavia 199286211101 19967th844Direct qualification 2000Did not qualifyDid not qualify 2004 20086th633440 2012Did not qualifyDid not qualify 20165th633431 2020Did not qualify312 2024972 2028To be determinedTo be determinedTotal4/928161231256
EuroBasket EuroBasketQualificationYearPosition1935 to 1991Part of YugoslaviaPart of Yugoslavia 1993981761 1995981651 199711th8261073 199911th6331073 20017th73410100 200311th4131082 20057th743431 20076th936651 20096th945Direct qualification 201113th523 20134th1183880 20159th633 201710th642Direct qualification 202212th633642 2025Did not qualify16124 2029To be determinedTo be determinedTotal14/15102564693 75 18
Results and fixtures
2025
2026
2027
Team Current roster Roster for the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers matches on 27 and 30 August 2026 against Latvia and Netherlands.
Depth chart
Head coaches
1990s and 2000s Years Name Competition 1992 Petar Skansi 1992 Summer Olympics 1993 Mirko Novosel 1993 EuroBasket 1994 Josip Gjergja 1994 World Cup 1995 Aleksandar Petrović 1995 EuroBasket 1996–1998 Petar Skansi 7th 1996 Summer Olympics11th 1997 EuroBasket 1999 Boško Božić 9th 1999 EuroBasket 1999–2001 Aleksandar Petrović 7th 2001 EuroBasket 2001–2005 Neven Spahija 11th 2003 EuroBasket7th 2005 EuroBasket 2005–2009 Jasmin Repeša 6th 2007 EuroBasket6th 2008 Summer Olympics 6th 2009 EuroBasket
2010s and 2020s Years Name Competition 2010–2011 Josip-Jerko Vranković 14th 2010 World Cup 13th 2011 EuroBasket 2012–2014 Jasmin Repeša 4th 2013 EuroBasket 10th 2014 World Cup 2015 Velimir Perasović 9th 2015 EuroBasket 2016–2017 Aleksandar Petrović 5th 2016 Summer Olympics10th 2017 EuroBasket 2017–2018 Ivica Skelin— 2018–2019 Dražen Anzulović 2019–2022 Veljko Mršić 2022 Damir Mulaomerović 12th 2022 EuroBasket 2022–2023 Aleksandar Petrović (interim)— 2023–2025 Josip Sesar 2025–present Tomislav Mijatović
Past rosters
EuroBasket 1993 EuroBasket 1995 EuroBasket 1997 EuroBasket 1999 EuroBasket 2001 EuroBasket 2003 EuroBasket 2005 EuroBasket 2007 EuroBasket 2009 EuroBasket 2011 EuroBasket 2013 EuroBasket 2015 EuroBasket 2017 EuroBasket 2022
1994 FIBA World Cup 2010 FIBA World Cup 2014 FIBA World Cup
1992 Summer Olympics 1996 Summer Olympics 2008 Summer Olympics 2016 Summer Olympics
Notable players and coaches
Players
Individual awards FIBA World Cup MVP Dražen Petrović – 1986 Toni Kukoč – 1990 EuroBasket MVP Krešimir Ćosić – 1971, 1975 Dražen Petrović – 1989 Toni Kukoč – 1991 Olympics Top Scorer Bojan Bogdanović – 2016 EuroBasket Top Scorer - by total points Dražen Petrović – 1985 FIBA World Cup All-Tournament Team Krešimir Ćosić – 1970, 1978 Vinko Jelovac – 1974 Dražen Petrović – 1986 Toni Kukoč – 1990 Dino Rađa – 1994 EuroBasket All-Tournament Team Krešimir Ćosić – 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1979 Dražen Petrović – 1985, 1989 Dino Rađa – 1989, 1993 Toni Kukoč – 1991, 1995 Damir Mulaomerović – 2001 Bojan Bogdanović – 2013 Olympic Final Top Scorer Dražen Petrović – 1992 World Cup Final Top Scorer Krešimir Ćosić – 1970 EuroBasket Final Top Scorer Krešimir Ćosić – 1973 Dražen Petrović – 1989 Dino Rađa – 1991 Other notable achievements FIBA Order of Merit Krešimir Ćosić FIBA Hall of Fame Krešimir Ćosić Dražen Petrović Toni Kukoč Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Krešimir Ćosić Dražen Petrović Dino Rađa Toni Kukoč College Basketball Hall of Fame Krešimir Ćosić Euroscar Toni Kukoč – 1991, 1994, 1996, 1998 Dražen Petrović – 1992, 1993 Mr. Europa Toni Kukoč – 1991, 1992, 1996 Dražen Petrović – 1993 NBA champion Toni Kukoč – 1996, 1997, 1998 Žan Tabak – 1995 All-NBA Team Dražen Petrović – 1993 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award Toni Kukoč – 1996 NBA All-Defensive Second Team Ivica Zubac – 2025 NBA All-Rookie First Team Dario Šarić – 2017 NBA All-Rookie Second Team Toni Kukoč – 1994 Dino Rađa – 1994 Gordan Giriček – 2003 Bojan Bogdanović – 2015
EuroLeague Final Four MVP Dino Rađa - 1989 Toni Kukoč – 1990, 1991, 1993 EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer Petar Skansi - 1972 Dražen Petrović - 1985 Toni Kukoč - 1990 EuroLeague Top Scorer Zdravko Radulović – 1993 EuroLeague Rebounds Leader Stojko Vranković – 1995 Žan Tabak – 1999 EuroLeague Assists Leader Ivica Marić – 2001 Zoran Planinić – 2013 EuroLeague Steals Leader Ivica Marić – 2001 EuroLeague PIR Leader Nikola Vujčić – 2007 All EuroLeague First Team Nikola Vujčić – 2005, 2006, 2007 Ante Tomić – 2013, 2014 All EuroLeague Second Team Nikola Vujčić – 2003, 2004 Ante Tomić – 2015 Mario Hezonja – 2024 All Europe First Team Nikola Vujčić – 2005, 2006 Bojan Bogdanović – 2013 Ante Tomić – 2015 All Europe Second Team Nikola Vujčić – 2004, 2007 Ante Tomić – 2013, 2014 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors (2008) Krešimir Ćosić Dražen Petrović Toni Kukoč Dino Rađa Cup Winner's Cup Finals Top Scorer Andro Knego - 1982 Dražen Petrović - 1987, 1989 FIBA Korać Cup Finals Top Scorer Željko Jerkov - 1977 Dražen Petrović - 1988 FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991) Krešimir Ćosić Toni Kukoč Dražen Petrović Dino Rađa Petar Skansi FIBA All-Star Games Krešimir Ćosić Josip Gjergja Vinko Jelovac Željko Jerkov Andro Knego Toni Kukoč Veljko Mršić Dražen Petrović Dino Rađa Petar Skansi Damir Šolman Ratomir Tvrdić Stojko Vranković
Coaches
Individual achievements FIBA Hall of Fame Mirko Novosel Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Mirko Novosel Euroleague winning head coach Mirko Novosel - 1985 Željko Pavličević - 1986, 1991
Head-to-head record
Record against teams at the EuroBasket
National team Belgium11010674+32 Bosnia and Herzegovina321243229+14 Bulgaria220192165+27 Czech Republic431322266+56 Estonia330252219+33 Finland431350313+37 France7345665660 Georgia211135147−12 Germany7345595590 Greece936710684+26 Great Britain1108665+21 Hungary1106758+9 Israel211161159+2 Italy752500475+25 Latvia211170176−6 Lithuania505356417−61 Montenegro220173153+20 Netherlands1107872+6 North Macedonia321230204+26 Poland211150147+3 Portugal1109068+22 Romania1107458+16 Russia835628648−20 Serbia202128144−16 Slovenia532392386+6 Spain725500572−72 Turkey633503430+73 Ukraine431355323+32Total27 teams
Record against teams in EuroBasket qualification
National team Austria440344298+46 Belarus11011272+40 Belgium220176129+47 Bosnia and Herzegovina633474453+21 Bulgaria211173148+25 Cyprus660564354+210 Denmark220183146+37 England220163149+14 Estonia541417350+67 France202141156−15 Germany202144159−15 Hungary440316268+48 Iceland220193151+42 Ireland440349255+94 Latvia550466371+95 Lithuania211137140−3 Luxembourg220189141+48 Netherlands651457389+68 North Macedonia330312232+80 Poland211151156−5 Romania330342206+136 Russia211151138+13 Slovakia440355277+53 Slovenia1019094−4 Sweden651479417+62 Switzerland440324236+88 Turkey422290267+23 Ukraine541416370+46Total28 teams
Record against teams at the World Cup
National team Argentina1109085+5 Australia1108369+14 Brazil1017492−18 Canada1109261+31 China11010573+32 Cuba1108565+20 France1016469−5 Greece321224191+33 Iran1107554+21 Philippines1108178+3 Puerto Rico11010382+21 Russia1016466−2 Senegal1017577−2 Serbia1017273−1 Slovenia1018491−7 South Korea11010453+51 Tunisia1108464+20 United States10178106−28Total18 teams
Record against teams in World Cup qualification
National team Cyprus220223110+113 Denmark220179147+32 Finland202150158−8 Germany211182179+3 Hungary211139153−14 Israel220188146+42 Italy211142152−10 Latvia11011580+35 Lithuania202145163−18 Netherlands321244245−3 Norway220203121+82 Poland202143156−13 Romania211146121+25 Slovenia202143173−30 Sweden211169168+1Total15 teams
Record against teams at the Olympic Games
National team Angola220144112+32 Argentina312225242−17 Australia321266220+46 Brazil321243230+13 China220208163+45 CIS1107574+1 Germany1109978+21 Iran1109157+34 Lithuania312244250−6 Nigeria1017690−14 Russia1108578+7 Serbia1018386−3 Spain321219221−2 United States303226322−96Total14 teams
Biggest tournament wins 20+ point difference