Dinamo are the new champions of Croatia. The Blues have secured their 26th national title even before stepping onto the pitch against Varaždin today. The decisive moment came with the 0:0 draw between Rijeka and Hajduk, leaving the Split side 12 points behind with an inferior head-to-head record, and therefore unable to catch Dinamo.
The title celebrations are expected to take place after the final round, when Dinamo hosts Lokomotiva at Maksimir on May 23rd. Last season brought no silverware, but this year Dinamo are in a position for a domestic double. Alongside the remaining league fixtures, they face Rijeka in the Croatian Cup final on May 13th at Opus Arena.
This is Dinamo’s most dominant league win in the past six seasons. The Croatian top flight has grown increasingly competitive in recent years, peaking last season when Rijeka, Dinamo, and Hajduk entered the final round in a three-way title race. Rijeka ultimately prevailed on head-to-head record after finishing level on points with Dinamo.
Recent seasons have also gone down to the wire: Dinamo sealed the 2021/22 title one round before the end, while in 2020/21 and 2023/24 they clinched it with two rounds remaining. Each time, a different challenger pushed them — Hajduk, Osijek, then Rijeka.
This title marks a return to familiar territory. In the early years of the 10-team league era (2013–2016), Dinamo routinely finished the job early, often four rounds before the end, consistently pulling clear of Rijeka as the closest challengers.
It remains the only period in which Dinamo repeatedly secured the championship so early, making this the fourth such instance of a four-round early finish in club history.
After that early dominance came a shift. The 2016/17 season saw Rijeka take the title by two points, before Dinamo responded the following year. What followed were two of Dinamo’s most commanding campaigns: 2018/19 and 2019/20, both decided six rounds before the finish, with double-digit gaps over Rijeka and Lokomotiva, respectively.
