The Croatian Sports Museum, in cooperation with the Croatian Football Federation, presents the exhibition “Brončani, srebrni – Vatreni!” on the occasion of the Croatian’s national football team’s participation at the World Football Championship in Qatar 2022. This exhibition of photographs is dedicated to the great triumphs of the Croatian national football team: the bronze medal at the World Football Championship in France, 1998, and the silver medal at the World Football Championship in Russia, 2018.

The authors of the photographs are the award-winning sports photographers: Robert Valai, who followed the team in 1998, and Drago Sopta, who has been the Croatian Football Federation’s official photographer since 2013. The exhibition’s concept follows the teams’ journey during the 1998 and 2018 championships, starting with their preparations before departure and ending with their return home. These photographs bring back the memories of Croatia’s greatest sports successes, the emotions felt on the pitch and during the teams’ triumphant return, as well as provide a look behind the curtain into moments of training or relaxation between matches.

Besides the lasting impression Croatia’s football players left on the world, their presentation through the medium of photography also contributed greatly in the affirmation of sports photography as art, reminding us of the fact that Croatia is home to many sports photographers whose works have been recognized and awarded on an international level.

The exhibition is available to the public on Zagreb’s Petar Preradović Square, more popularly known as Flower Square or “Cvjetni trg” between November 25th and December 13th 2022.