20 Joško Gvardiol
Joško Gvardiol, 2002-01-23, Defender for Croatia, plays for Manchester City. 45 international caps, 4 goals. Part of Croatia's 2026 World Cup Group L squad.
Biography
Manchester City centre-back and Croatia's defensive cornerstone. Currently plying his trade at Manchester City, a dependable defender, Joško Gvardiol combines positional intelligence with tenacious tackling, forming a key part of Croatia's backline. Has earned 45 international caps, scoring 4 goals, building significant international experience. Set to compete with Croatia at the 2026 World Cup, building on the team's 6 previous tournament appearances.
Career Timeline
A former Croatian youth international, Gvardiol made his debut for the senior side in 2021, and represented them at UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2024, helping his country to third place at the 2022 tournament.
He moved to Bundesliga club RB Leipzig in 2021, where he won two DFB-Pokals before he was signed by Manchester City in 2023 for £77 million, making him the most expensive defender in footballing history.
A product of Dinamo Zagreb youth academy, Gvardiol made his professional debut for the club in 2019, and went on to win two league titles as well as the Croatian Cup.