Croatia wins historic bronze at European Futsal Championship

The Croatian futsal team achieved the greatest success in its history at major international competitions, winning the bronze medal at the European Championship in Ljubljana after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over France.

After regular time ended in a thrilling 5–5 draw, Croatia prevailed 6–5 in the shootout, securing an 11–10 aggregate victory. It marks Croatia’s first-ever medal at a major futsal tournament, surpassing their previous best result of fourth place at Euro 2012.

The decisive penalty shootout saw flawless finishing from the Croatian side, with goals scored by Jelovčić, Sekulić, Kustura, Perić, Jurlina and Vukmir. In the sixth round, France’s Toure shot over the bar, sparking jubilant celebrations among Croatian players and fans at Ljubljana’s Stožice Arena.

France struck first in the fourth minute through Menendez, but Croatia—coached by Marinko Mavrović—soon took control of the match. Antonio Sekulić equalised in the 13th minute, before Josip Jurlina capitalised on a French error just before halftime to give Croatia a 2–1 lead.

Croatia extended their advantage early in the second half when a shot deflected off French goalkeeper Franco Jelovčić made it 3–1. France quickly responded through Guirio, who would go on to play a key role in the match.

In the 30th minute, Jakov Hrstić restored Croatia’s two-goal cushion, making it 4–2. Guirio struck again two minutes later to keep France in contention, but Luka Perić netted in the 36th minute to put Croatia ahead 5–3.

The drama intensified late on. With France playing without a goalkeeper, Guirio scored his third goal in the 38th minute to reduce the gap to 5–4. Seven seconds before the final whistle, Mouhoudine equalised, forcing the match into a penalty shootout.

Despite the late setback, Croatia remained composed from the spot and sealed a historic bronze medal, capping a memorable night for Croatian futsal.