First NL is a men’s football league in Croatia, also recorded under the alternative name Croatian Druga HNL. Visitors can follow live scores, fixtures, results, standings, and player and team statistics, then explore the competition’s recorded season coverage from 2016 through 2025 for a clear view of its available historical record.
Upcoming matches, First NL
Regular Season - 6
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- Regular Season - 6Mladost Ždralovi
Segesta Sisak
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- Regular Season - 6
Sesvete
HNK Cibalia
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- Regular Season - 6
Orijent 1919
OpatijaStadion Krimeja -
- Regular Season - 6
Vukovar
Jadran LP
Stadion Gradski vrt -
- Regular Season - 6
Bsk Bijelo Brdo
Hrvace
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- Regular Season - 6
Dugopolje
Dinamo Zagreb U21
Stadion Hrvatski vitezovi -
- Regular Season - 6
Kustosija
Croatia Zmijavci
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- Regular Season - 6
Karlovac 1919
Dubrava Zagreb
Regular Season - 7
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- Regular Season - 7
Dinamo Zagreb U21
Mladost Ždralovi
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- Regular Season - 7
Jadran LP
Kustosija
Latest played matches, First NL
Regular Season - 5
Regular Season - 4
First NL Standings
2 HNL
| Rank | Club | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mladost Ždralovi | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 11 | WDWWD | |
| 2 |
|
Croatia Zmijavci | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 10 | LDWWW |
| 3 |
|
Bsk Bijelo Brdo | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 10 | WWLDW |
| 4 |
|
Sesvete | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 9 | WWLLW |
| 5 |
|
Jadran LP | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 8 | WLDWD |
| 6 |
|
Vukovar | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 10 | -1 | 8 | WDLWD |
| 7 |
|
HNK Cibalia | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 7 | DDDDW |
| 8 |
|
Karlovac 1919 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 7 | LWDWL |
| 9 |
|
Segesta Sisak | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 7 | WLDLW |
| 10 |
|
Dinamo Zagreb U21 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 6 | LWWLL |
| 11 |
|
Dugopolje | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | LDDWD |
| 12 |
|
Orijent 1919 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | LDDWL |
| 13 |
|
Dubrava Zagreb | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 5 | DWDLL |
| 14 | Opatija | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 4 | LLWLD | |
| 15 |
|
Kustosija | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 | DLDLD |
| 16 |
|
Hrvace | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 11 | -9 | 1 | DLLLL |
First NL Statistics
Top scorers 2026
| # | Player | Goals |
|---|
Top assists 2026
| # | Player | Assists |
|---|
Top key passes
Top tackles
Top yellow cards
Top red cards
First NL teams participation since 2016
History
| Team | Nb participations |
|---|---|
| Dugopolje | 10 |
| Sesvete | 9 |
| Solin | 8 |
| Bsk Bijelo Brdo | 8 |
| Rudes | 7 |
| HNK Cibalia | 7 |
| Kustosija | 7 |
| Croatia Zmijavci | 7 |
| Dubrava Zagreb | 7 |
| Orijent 1919 | 7 |
| Hrvatski Dragovoljac | 6 |
| Dinamo Zagreb II | 6 |
| Sibenik | 5 |
| Jarun | 5 |
| HNK Hajduk Split II | 4 |
| NK Osijek II | 4 |
| Opatija | 4 |
| Inter Zapresic | 3 |
| Lucko | 3 |
| NK Varazdin | 3 |
| Medjimurje Cakovec | 3 |
| Vukovar | 3 |
| Zrinski Jurjevac | 3 |
| HNK Gorica | 2 |
| Novigrad | 2 |
| Imotski | 1 |
| NK Zagreb | 1 |
| NK Zadar | 1 |
| Hrvace | 1 |
| Junak | 1 |
| Karlovac 1919 | 1 |
First NL top scorer teams
First NL About
First NL is Croatia’s national second-tier men’s football league, currently known officially as the First Football League (*Prva nogometna liga*, or Prva NL). Formerly identified as Croatian Druga HNL, it occupies the level immediately below the Croatian Football League and provides the country’s principal pathway from the lower divisions into the professional elite.
Identity and role
The competition is a national league for clubs from across Croatia, rather than a regional or knockout tournament. Its central sporting purpose is to establish which teams are ready to compete at the highest domestic level while giving clubs and players a demanding professional environment in which to develop. Promotion to the Croatian Football League is the principal prize, while the lowest-ranked sides face the prospect of dropping into the third-tier Second NL.
The league is governed by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS), which determines its regulations, licensing standards, scheduling framework and disciplinary rules. The competition’s recorded formation year is 1991, placing its origins in the early years of Croatia’s independent football system. Over time, it developed from earlier regional arrangements into a unified national division. The current First Football League identity was introduced for the 2022–23 season, replacing the commonly used Druga HNL designation.
How clubs enter and progress
Clubs can reach the First NL through promotion from the Second NL, Croatia’s third tier, or through relegation from the Croatian Football League. Entry and movement between divisions are not determined by league position alone. A club seeking promotion must also satisfy HNS licensing requirements, including the relevant sporting, financial, organisational and infrastructure conditions. Consequently, a champion may not advance if it does not hold the licence required for the higher division, and another eligible club or regulatory outcome may determine the final promotion arrangement.
The champion typically earns direct promotion to the Croatian Football League. At the opposite end of the table, the bottom-placed club or clubs are relegated to the Second NL, subject to the season’s regulations and the final licensing decisions. This combination of sporting results and administrative eligibility makes every position significant, not only the title race.
Competition format and scoring
The First NL is a unified league involving 12 teams. Clubs play each other in a round-robin league phase, with the number of meetings shaped by the regulations for the relevant season. The current structure is recorded as 33 rounds, reflecting a triple round-robin schedule, while some editions have used a double round-robin format. Unlike a cup, the competition does not normally require clubs to win a sequence of knockout ties; the final standings are built across the full league programme.
The standard football points system applies:
- three points for a win;
- one point for a draw; and
- no points for a defeat.
The competition’s recorded tiebreaking arrangements distinguish between the live table and the final settlement of decisive positions. Goal difference is used as the primary guide during the season, while head-to-head results become especially important after the final round when the champion or relegated teams must be separated. Exact ordering procedures can depend on the regulations for the edition concerned, so level points should always be assessed against the applicable season rules rather than assumed from a generic league convention.
Player eligibility and matchday requirements
The league also has a strong development function. Under the recorded eligibility rules, clubs must field at least three players under the age of 21 in every match. This requirement encourages regular first-team opportunities for emerging Croatian footballers and reinforces the competition’s role as a bridge between academy football, regional competition and the top flight. Clubs are also restricted to a maximum of two foreign-national players per match under the stated rules, giving locally developed players a prominent place in the matchday programme.
Season calendar and sporting stakes
A typical campaign begins in late July or early August and concludes in May. A winter interruption normally runs from December into February, creating a substantial mid-season break before the decisive spring fixtures. The schedule therefore combines the intensity of a national professional league with the seasonal rhythm of Croatian football, in which weather and playing conditions influence the timing of the competition.
Winning First NL is both a title achievement and a route to the Croatian Football League. Promotion can transform a club’s competitive profile, finances and visibility, while relegation can reshape its squad and long-term plans. For supporters, the league offers a closely fought national contest in which established clubs, ambitious provincial sides and developing players compete for advancement. The name First NL is now the clearest modern reference to this second-tier competition, but its earlier Druga HNL identity remains an important part of its history and continuing place in Croatian football.