Croatian Footballer of the Year

Annual football award in Croatia

The Croatian Footballer of the Year (Croatian: Nogometaš godine) is the most prestigious annual association football award in Croatia. It is awarded by the newspaper Večernji list to the best Croatian football player in the preceding year, regardless of the league they play in, based on a points system which measures their performances for both club and country. The award is usually presented in a ceremony hosted by the Croatian Football Federation.

The award was established in 1972 and, until 1990, the award was given to the best Yugoslav player in the preceding year. Since the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, the award is given to the best Croatian player. Luka Modrić holds the record for most wins, with thirteen awards.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Davor Šuker is second with six awards.[7][8][9][10] They are followed by Dado Pršo with three wins from 2003 to 2005.[7]

In 1995, a separate award, the Hope of the Year (Croatian: Nada godine), was introduced. It is awarded to the best young Croatian player.[11] As of 2020, only Ivica Olić and Luka Modrić have won both the Hope of the Year and Footballer of the Year awards.

## List of winners

[edit]

### Yugoslav Footballer of the Year (1972–90)

[edit]

† denotes shared wins

Year  | Yugoslav Footballer of the Year

|

Player (Wins) | Age  | Pos.  | Club
1972 | Dušan Bajević | 24 | FW |  Velež
1973 | Enver Marić | 25 | GK |  Velež
1974 | Josip Katalinski | 26 | DF |  Željezničar
1975 | Ivan Buljan | 26 | DF |  Hajduk Split
1976 | Ivica Šurjak | 23 | MF |  Hajduk Split
1977 | Dražen Mužinić | 24 | MF |  Hajduk Split
1978 | Vilson Džoni † | 28 | DF |  Dinamo Zagreb
Nenad Stojković † | 22 | DF |  Partizan
1979 | Safet Sušić † | 24 | MF |  FK Sarajevo
Velimir Zajec † | 23 | MF |  Dinamo Zagreb
1980 | Vladimir Petrović | 25 | MF |  Red Star
1981 | Zlatko Vujović | 23 | FW |  Hajduk Split
1982 | Ivan Gudelj | 22 | MF |  Hajduk Split
1983 | Zoran Simović | 29 | GK |  Hajduk Split
1984 | Velimir Zajec (2) | 28 | MF |  Panathinaikos
1985 | Blaž Slišković | 26 | MF |  Hajduk Split
1986 | Semir Tuce | 22 | MF |  Velež
1987 | Marko Mlinarić | 27 | MF |  Dinamo Zagreb
1988 | Dragan Stojković | 23 | MF |  Red Star
1989 | Dragan Stojković (2) | 24 | MF |  Red Star
1990 | Robert Prosinečki | 21 | MF |  Red Star

### Croatian Footballer of the Year (1991–present)

[edit]

Luka Modrić holds the record for most wins with thirteen awards Davor Šuker won the title six times Ivica Olić, along with Luka Modrić, is the only player to win both the Croatian Footballer of the Year and the Hope of the Year awards Year  | Croatian Footballer of the Year  | Hope of the Year

|
|

Player (Wins) | Age  | Pos.  | Club  | Player  | Age  | Pos.  | Club
1991 | Zvonimir Boban | 23 | MF |  Milan | —
1992 | Davor Šuker | 25 | FW |  Sevilla | —
1993 | Alen Bokšić | 23 | FW |  Lazio | —
1994 | Davor Šuker (2) | 27 | FW |  Sevilla | —
1995 | Davor Šuker (3) | 28 | FW |  Sevilla | Dario Šimić | 20 | DF |  Croatia Zagreb
1996 | Davor Šuker (4) | 29 | FW |  Real Madrid | Jurica Vučko | 20 | FW |  Hajduk Split
1997 | Robert Prosinečki (2) † | 28 | MF |  Croatia Zagreb | Silvio Marić | 22 | MF |  Croatia Zagreb
Davor Šuker (5) † | 30 | FW |  Real Madrid
1998 | Davor Šuker (6) | 31 | FW |  Real Madrid | Jurica Vranješ | 18 | MF |  Osijek
1999 | Zvonimir Boban (2) | 31 | MF |  Milan | Tomo Šokota | 22 | FW |  Croatia Zagreb
2000 | Nenad Bjelica | 29 | MF |  Osijek | Krunoslav Lovrek | 21 | FW |  NK Zagreb
2001 | Igor Tudor | 23 | DF |  Juventus | Ivica Olić | 22 | FW |  NK Zagreb
2002 | Stipe Pletikosa | 23 | GK |  Hajduk Split | Niko Kranjčar | 18 | MF |  Dinamo Zagreb
2003 | Dado Pršo | 29 | FW |  Monaco | Goran Ljubojević | 20 | FW |  Osijek
2004 | Dado Pršo (2) | 30 | FW |  Rangers | Luka Modrić | 19 | MF |  Inter Zaprešić
2005 | Dado Pršo (3) | 31 | FW |  Rangers | Leon Benko | 22 | FW |  Varteks
2006 | Eduardo | 23 | FW |  Dinamo Zagreb | Ante Rukavina | 20 | FW |  Šibenik
2007 | Luka Modrić | 22 | MF |  Dinamo Zagreb | Nikola Kalinić | 19 | FW |  Hajduk Split
2008 | Luka Modrić (2) | 23 | MF |  Tottenham Hotspur | Marin Tomasov | 21 | MF |  Zadar
2009 | Ivica Olić | 30 | FW |  Bayern Munich | Milan Badelj | 20 | MF |  Dinamo Zagreb
2010 | Ivica Olić (2) | 31 | FW |  Bayern Munich | Šime Vrsaljko | 18 | DF |  Dinamo Zagreb
2011 | Luka Modrić (3) | 26 | MF |  Tottenham Hotspur | Mateo Kovačić | 17 | MF |  Dinamo Zagreb
2012 | Mario Mandžukić | 26 | FW |  Bayern Munich | Franko Andrijašević | 21 | MF |  Hajduk Split
2013 | Mario Mandžukić (2) | 27 | FW |  Bayern Munich | Ante Rebić | 20 | FW |  Fiorentina
2014 | Luka Modrić (4) | 29 | MF |  Real Madrid | Tin Jedvaj | 19 | DF |  Bayer Leverkusen
2015 | Ivan Rakitić | 27 | MF |  Barcelona | Ante Ćorić | 18 | MF |  Dinamo Zagreb
2016 | Luka Modrić (5) | 31 | MF |  Real Madrid | Filip Benković | 19 | DF |  Dinamo Zagreb
2017 | Luka Modrić (6) | 32 | MF |  Real Madrid | Lovro Majer | 19 | MF |  Lokomotiva
2018 | Luka Modrić (7) | 33 | MF |  Real Madrid | —
2019 | Luka Modrić (8) | 34 | MF |  Real Madrid | —
2020 | Luka Modrić (9) | 35 | MF |  Real Madrid | —
2021 | Luka Modrić (10) | 36 | MF |  Real Madrid | —
2022 | Luka Modrić (11) | 37 | MF |  Real Madrid | —
2023 | Luka Modrić (12) | 38 | MF |  Real Madrid | —
2024 | Luka Modrić (13) | 39 | MF |  Real Madrid | —

Notes on club name changes:

* Dinamo Zagreb changed their name to "HAŠK Građanski" in June 1991 and then again in February 1993 to "Croatia Zagreb". They reverted to "Dinamo Zagreb" in February 2000.
* The NK Varteks changed their 52-year-old name to "NK Varaždin" in June 2010, then folded in 2015. Two newer clubs, both unassociated with the defunct team, use the defunct club's names: NK Varteks (founded 2011) and NK Varaždin (founded 2012 as "Varaždin ŠN", picked up the "NK Varaždin" name when the older club folded).

## Multiple winners

[edit]

Players in bold are still active. Wins in italics denote wins in Yugoslav competition before 1991.

Wins  | Player  | Winning years  | Club(s)

|
|
|

13  | Luka Modrić | 2007, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024  | Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid
6  | Davor Šuker | 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998  | Sevilla, Real Madrid
3  | Dado Pršo | 2003, 2004, 2005  | Monaco, Rangers
2  | Velimir Zajec | 1979, 1984 | Dinamo Zagreb, Panathinaikos
Dragan Stojković | 1988, 1989 | Red Star Belgrade
Robert Prosinečki | 1990, 1997  | Red Star Belgrade, Croatia Zagreb
Zvonimir Boban | 1991, 1999  | Milan
Ivica Olić | 2009, 2010  | Bayern Munich
Mario Mandžukić | 2012, 2013  | Bayern Munich

## See also

[edit]

* Sportske novosti Yellow Shirt award, for the HNL footballer of the year, given by the Croatian sport newspaper Sportske novosti, chosen by sport journalists.
* Football Oscar, given by the Croatian union Football syndicate, chosen by players and managers of league clubs.
* Prva HNL Best Player of the Year, given by the Croatian web site Tportal, chosen by captains of league clubs.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Za njega ništa nije nemoguće, nadmašio je čak i Šukera!". vecernji.hr (in Croatian). 24 December 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
2. ^ "Modrića nisu uljuljale silne nagrade, samo su ga motivirale da opet bude - najbolji!". vecernji.hr (in Croatian). 29 December 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
3. ^ "Čast je imati takvog kapetana: Modrić postao prvi nogometaš kojem je ovo uspjelo!". vecernji.hr (in Croatian). 8 January 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
4. ^ "Modrić već 11. put slavi prestižnu nagradu, trofej osvojio ispred Gvardiola". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). 14 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
5. ^ "Večernji je 52. put odabrao 'Nogometaša godine': Luka Modrić osvojio dvanaestog popularnog Sikiricu!". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). 14 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
6. ^ "Luka Modrić 13. put osvojio Večernjakovu nagradu koja je postala prestižna i prepoznatljiva u svijetu". www.vecernji.hr (in Croatian). 14 January 2025. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
7. ^ a b Puric, Bojan (2 January 2005). ""Vecernji list" Player of the Year". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
8. ^ "VL Player of the Year 2014". Vecernji List. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
9. ^ "Luka Modrić dobio još jednu renomiranu nagradu: 'O ovome sam maštao!'". Vecernji List. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
10. ^ "Modric equals Suker with Croatian Footballer of the Year award – FourFourTwo". 1 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
11. ^ Flak, Igor; Jurišić, Predrag (31 December 2010). "U Bayernu će se još jednom klanjati Ivici Oliću" (in Croatian). Večernji list. Retrieved 4 May 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* Complete list of winners 1972–2010

* v
* t
* e

Croatian Footballer of the Year

* 1991: Boban
* 1992: Šuker
* 1993: Bokšić
* 1994: Šuker
* 1995: Šuker
* 1996: Šuker
* 1997: Prosinečki / Šuker
* 1998: Šuker
* 1999: Boban
* 2000: Bjelica
* 2001: Tudor
* 2002: Pletikosa
* 2003: Pršo
* 2004: Pršo
* 2005: Pršo
* 2006: Eduardo
* 2007: Modrić
* 2008: Modrić
* 2009: Olić
* 2010: Olić
* 2011: Modrić
* 2012: Mandžukić
* 2013: Mandžukić
* 2014: Modrić
* 2015: Rakitić
* 2016: Modrić
* 2017: Modrić
* 2018: Modrić
* 2019: Modrić
* 2020: Modrić
* 2021: Modrić
* 2022: Modrić
* 2023: Modrić
* 2024: Modrić

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