Duvnjak bids farewell to beloved Croatia jersey

On Sunday, a long, memorable and decorated national team career came to an end, as Duvnjak played his last game for Croatia, placing second at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship.

Duvnjak first captured attention in Croatia even before joining the A national side, and was well-known as the kid from Djakovo with huge promise by the time he made his debut as a teenager. Eventually, he would become the captain, leading the side to achievements such as the EHF EURO 2020 silver medal.

On a club level, handball fans will know, among other facts such as EHF Champions League title wins, that Duvnjak was at one time the most expensive transfer in the history of the sport, when he first moved abroad to Germany — where he has stayed since. However, the match on Sunday marked only the end of his national team career, and here we focus on the mark the MVP of the EHF EURO 2020 made for Croatia. 

Representing one’s country is naturally something treasured by every handball player, every athlete, but Duvnjak is one of those cases where it seems to be worn differently — where there is some ability to use the emotion and motivation brought from the experience and transform it into more energy.

Wearing the checkered jersey, Duvnjak seems to find something extra. He is never done fighting. When other players’ heads go down, he is the one pulling them up. When it looks impossible, he is the one driving the team to keep going.

How many times have you seen him standing in front of the defence, playing his trademark 1 position in the 5-1 formation, urging his teammates on as the opposition approaches? Very often after being the one to score and running back exhausted — but always running back to defend Croatia’s line.

That X factor was on show when Duvnjak was named MVP of the EHF EURO 2020. There, Croatia played more than one absolute thriller, and many — more than only Croatians — will never forget the epic two-times overtime semi-final battle against Norway. Duvnjak scored eight goals in that match.

Another memorable game was not one that secured Croatia a medal, but booked a place in the EHF EURO 2016 semi-final and did lead eventually to bronze — the “miracle in Krakow.” Coming into the last main round game against in-form hosts Poland, Croatia needed to win by 11 goals in order to climb into a semi-final position — a margin that looked impossible. They recorded a 37:23 victory, and for those close to the team, it was already clear something special was about to happen before they entered the court.

Those are just some examples of what has been an incredible career playing for Croatia. There were also challenges, such as missing playing the EHF EURO 2018, hosted by Croatia, after being injured in the opening game. The farewell at the home World Championship was therefore extremely meaningful for the centre back — to have the chance again, and to say goodbye properly.

Duvnjak farewells the national team with nine medals.

“When I look back on them, the bronze medal from the Olympic in 2012 is one of the dearest ones. Being part of the Olympic team is every player’s dream and winning a medal is the cherry on top. In my opinion, at the tournament, we played our best handball ever and unfortunately, one bad day against France took our chances to play for gold. That’s never easy,” he said in his This Is Me story.

“I always dreamed to be part of the national team — to be like players that have started the medal path in 2003. They were my role models while I was growing up.”

There is no doubt that Duvnjak has become a role model in his own right. Even current Croatia players have named Duvnjak as their biggest inspiration when they were dreaming of the national team, such as Ivan Martinovic, the MVP of the 2019 Junior World Championship who has become the starting right back for the A team.

Martinovic chose to play for Croatia precisely because of Duvnjak, and was one of those on court for the last dance on Sunday. Duvnjak’s legacy lives and breathes in the team, and will continue to do so.

“The national team is sacred. Representing your country at an EHF EURO, World Championship or Olympic Games is a special moment,” Duvnjak told eurohandball.com prior to the EHF EURO 2024, describing just what playing for Croatia has meant to him.

“To this day, whenever I hear the national anthem, I still get goosebumps. And when you have this many fans around the arenas, that’s indescribable. It is a privilege.”

Photos © kolektiff images (Jozo Cabraja, Jure Erzen, Anze Malovrh); Sascha Klahn; Ivan Cosic