Croatian Football Federation revamps Cup spot allocation for 2027 season

The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) approved a new system for distributing the 11 additional places in the Croatian Football Cup pre‑knockout stage. Effective 1 July 2027, the allocation will no longer be based on the total number of registered clubs in a county but on how many clubs a county has competing in the top three tiers of domestic football. Counties with at least two clubs in those tiers receive priority; if fewer than 11 counties meet this threshold, the remaining spots go to counties with one or no such clubs, with tie‑breaks decided by the number of registered active male clubs.

The change, adopted by the HNS Executive Board on 1 June 2026, keeps the Cup format unchanged at 48 teams – 16 based on a five‑year coefficient, 21 county‑cup winners and the re‑allocated 11 spots. The new formula is expected to strip Brodsko‑Posavska and Međimurska counties of their extra places while benefiting Primorsko‑Goranska and Splitsko‑Dalmatinska counties. Sisačko‑Moslavačka could claim the eleventh spot via its higher count of registered clubs.