Mladost and Jadran Split set up Croatian League final rematch

The 2026 Croatian League final is set, with Croatian Cup winners Mladost and reigning champions Jadran Split advancing after sweeping their respective semifinal series.

The championship showdown will be a repeat of this season’s Croatian Cup final, where Mladost emerged victorious, adding further intrigue to a clash between Croatia’s two strongest teams.

Mladost booked their place in the final with a dominant 2-0 series win over arch-rivals Jug Dubrovnik. After edging the opening encounter in Zagreb 11-9, the Croatian Cup holders delivered a statement performance in Dubrovnik, cruising to a 19-10 victory.

The visitors raced into a 3-0 lead and never looked back, extending their advantage to 5-1 early on. A key turning point came in the second quarter when Jug’s Filip Kržić was excluded for a violent foul. Mladost capitalised during the four-minute man-up period, stretching the score from 5-2 to 7-3.

By the end of the third quarter, Mladost had built a commanding 13-6 lead, effectively ending the contest. Ivan Nagaev starred with six goals, while Andrija Bašić added five. Goalkeeper Rino Čubranić was equally influential, making 15 saves. Marko Žuvela led Jug with three goals.

Jadran Split also required only two matches to secure their place in the final, defeating Primorje in convincing fashion.

The reigning champions opened the series with a 16-12 victory in Split, despite easing off in the fourth quarter after establishing a dominant 15-7 advantage through three periods. Jerko Marinić Kragić and Loren Fatović scored four goals apiece, while captain and Croatian national team goalkeeper Marko Bijač produced an outstanding 18-save performance. Tin Brubnjak led Primorje with five goals.

The second match in Rijeka followed a similar pattern. Primorje started brightly and led 4-2 midway through the opening quarter before Jadran seized control with six unanswered goals to turn the game around.

At halftime, Jadran held an 11-6 advantage and, although Primorje found more success offensively in the second half, the visitors continued to score freely on their way to a 21-16 victory. Zvonimir Butić and Mislav Čurković each scored four times, while Matković and Marinić Kragić contributed three goals apiece. Primorje’s Ivan Vukojević was the match’s top scorer with seven goals.

The results set up a highly anticipated final between Croatia’s two dominant clubs, with Mladost seeking a league-and-cup double and Jadran aiming to defend its national crown.

Elsewhere, Solaris and Zadar secured qualification for the 2026/27 Conference Cup by advancing to the fifth-place playoff final. For Zadar, it marks a historic achievement as the club qualifies for European competition for the first time.