Football, a sport with roots in ancient ball games, developed into its modern form during the 19th century. In Croatia, football is an integral part of national history, with the first clubs founded in the early 20th century and the Croatian Football Association founded in 1912. Croatian clubs, despite the challenges, achieved considerable success on the European scene, and four clubs stood out in particular. GNK Dinamo achieved significant international success, culminating in winning the Fair Cities Cup in 1967. Since Croatia's independence in 1991, Dinamo have dominated domestically and achieved impressive results in European competitions, including 17 appearances in the group stages of the Champions League and Europa League. Hajduk Split has achieved significant success at the European level throughout its history. During the 1970s, the club won four league titles and five cups, and had successful performances in European cups. In the late 1990s, the club achieved the best performance of a Croatian champion in the Champions League and, despite financial difficulties, continued to win Croatian titles and cups in the first years of the new millennium. NK Rijeka and NK Osijek also achieved significant success on the European scene. Rijeka made it to the group stage of the UEFA Europa League twice, with victories over teams such as Real Madrid and AC Milan. NK Osijek, after the successful season 1994/95. started competing in Europe, and his success culminated in winning the Croatian Cup in 1999. Despite these achievements, Croatian football clubs face financial and infrastructural challenges that can limit their competitiveness on the international scene. Overcoming these challenges involves long-term development, with an emphasis on investing in academies, infrastructure and developing young players.