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In 1991 Croatia gained independence and quickly its football team qualified for its first ever European Championship - Euro '96 in England before going on to book its place in France '98 by overcoming the Ukraine.
Football first appeared in Croatia in 1880. Englishman Fred Hepburn, owner of a tannin factory in Zupanja (eastern Croatia), organised games of football for his British employees which aroused the curiosity of the local populace. However, football was only fully introduced in 1893 by Franjo Bucar, nickmaned the father of Croatian sport, who came back from his studies in Sweden with the first football and a copy of the rule book. The first clubs were founded in 1903: Hask (FC Croatia Zagreb) and Pnisk Zagreb (FC Zagreb) who played the first competitive match in Zagreb three years later. Football quickly became popular. The number of clubs grew (FC Hajduk Split arrived in 1911) and came under the Croatian Football Association in 1912.
After the First World War, the best Croatian players, who were now part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, contributed fully to the national Yugoslav team's success. The national team composed of 11 Croats won the silver medal in the 1948 Olympics in London, a second one in Melbourne in 1956 with five Croats, and the gold medal in Rome in 1960. Until 1967 the Croatian team of FC Dynamo (orignally Hask) was the only Yugoslavian club to have won an international trophy: The Fairs Cup (now the UEFA Cup).
Croatia's leading players have made their mark amongst Europe's top clubs, notably Boban (AC Milan), Suker (Real Madrid), Boksoc (Lazio) and Vlaovic (Valencia). Croatia will arrive in France '98 as serious outside contenders.
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No previous appearances in World Cup