8 Mateo Kovačić
Mateo Kovačić, 1994-05-06, Midfielder for Croatia, plays for Manchester City. 100 international caps, 5 goals. Part of Croatia's 2026 World Cup Group L squad.
Biography
Manchester City midfielder and Croatia's technical fulcrum. Currently plying his trade at Manchester City, an industrious midfielder, Mateo Kovačić excels at dictating tempo and linking defense to attack, acting as the creative engine for Croatia. Has earned 100 international caps, scoring 5 goals, making him one of the most senior figures in the squad. Set to compete with Croatia at the 2026 World Cup, building on the team's 6 previous tournament appearances.
Career Timeline
He has represented the nation at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2016, 2020 and 2024 UEFA European Championships, reaching the 2018 World Cup final and 2023 UEFA Nations League final.
He joined Manchester City in the summer of 2023, and won the Premier League with them in his first season.
He subsequently joined Chelsea, where he won the UEFA Europa League, a fourth Champions League title, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, as well as being named Chelsea Player of the Year for the 2019–20 season.
In 2015, he moved to Real Madrid, where he won nine trophies, including three UEFA Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018.
Kovačić began his professional career with Dinamo Zagreb at the age of 16, with whom he won two consecutive Prva HNL titles, before joining Inter Milan in 2013.
Born in Austria, Kovačić played for Croatia at multiple youth levels before making his debut for the senior national team in 2013.