List of Croatia international footballers born outside Croatia
This is a list of the Croatian soccer players who played for the Croatia senior national football team, born outside Croatia. Most of them are born in the former Yugoslavia countries, especially Bosnia and Herzegovina, or outside Yugoslavia they're born in Germany.[1] In this list are included naturalized players and born abroad.
Players in bold are currently playing for the Croatia national football team or active, in brackets there are their caps. The list is updated as 15 October 2024.
Australia
[edit]- Joey Didulica 2004–2006 (4) (0)[2]
- Anthony Šerić 1998–2006 (16) (0)[3]
- Josip Šimunić 2001–2013 (105) (3)[4]
Austria
[edit]- Mateo Kovačić 2013– (106) (5)[5]
- Luka Sučić 2021– (14) (0)[6]
Bosnia and Herzegovina
[edit]
Austria-Hungary
[edit]- Miroslav Brozović 1940–1944 (17) (0)[7]
- Mirko Kokotović 1941–1944 (15) (2)[8]
- Antun Pogačnik 1941 (1) (0)
- Sulejman Rebac 1956 (1) (2)[9]
- Aleksandar Živković 1940 (1) (0)
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
[edit]- Florijan Matekalo 1940 (4) (1)
SFR Yugoslavia
[edit]- Mladen Bartulović 2006–2009 (2) (0)[10]
- Mario Bazina 2002 (1) (0)[11]
- Stanko Bubalo 1999–2000 (2) (0)[12]
- Ante Budimir 2020– (27) (3)[13]
- Nino Bule 1999–2004 (3) (0)[14]
- Vedran Ćorluka 2006–2018 (103) (4)[15]
- Darko Dražić 1990–1991 (2) (0)[16]
- Sejad Halilović 1994 (1) (0)[17][18]
- Mato Jajalo 2014–2015[19][20]
- Nikica Jelavić 2009–2014 (36) (6)[21]
- Vedran Ješe 2006–2008 (2) (0)[22]
- Krunoslav Jurčić 1997–2000 (21) (0)[23]
- Goran Jurić 1997–1999 (15) (0)
- Marin Leovac 2014– (5) (0)[24]
- Dejan Lovren 2009–2022 (78) (5)[25]
- Mato Neretljak 2001–2006 (10) (1)[26]
- Željko Pavlović 1996–2001 (7) (0)
- Mladen Petrić 2001–2013 (45) (13)[27][28]
- Mladen Romić 1992 (3) (0)[29]
- Mario Stanić 1995–2003 (49) (7)[30]
- Mario Tokić 1998–2006 (28) (0)[31]
- Stjepan Tomas 1998–2006 (49) (1)[32]
- Boris Živković 1999–2007 (39) (2)[33]
Born after Bosnia's Independence from Yugoslavia
[edit]- Jakov Filipović 2017– (3) (0)[34]
- Nikola Katić 2017 (1) (0)[35][36]
- Mirko Marić 2017– (1) (0)[37][38]
- Petar Sučić 2024– (4) (1)[39]
- Ivan Šunjić 2017– (1) (0)[40]
- Josip Šutalo 2022– (21) (0)[41]
Brazil
[edit]
Germany
[edit] West Germany
[edit]- Ivo Iličević 2010–2013 (9) (1)[47]
- Niko Kovač 1996–2008 (83) (14)[48]
- Robert Kovač 1999–2009 (84) (0)[49]
- Ivan Klasnić 2004–2011 (41) (12)[50]
- Marijo Marić 2002–2004 (8) (1)[51]
- Tomislav Marić 2002–2003 (9) (2)[52]
- Robert Prosinečki 1994–2002 (49) (10)[53]
- Filip Tapalović 2002 (3) (0)[54]
- Vladimir Vasilj 1998–2002 (2) (0)[55]
Born after German reunification
[edit]- Antonio Čolak 2020– (3) (0)[56]
- Igor Matanović 2024– (4) (1)[57]
- Marco Pašalić 2023– (5) (1)[58]
- Mario Pašalić 2014– (70) (10)[59]
- Marin Pongračić 2020– (10) (0)[60]
- Josip Stanišić 2021– (20) (0)[61]
Kosovo
[edit] SFR Yugoslavia
[edit]- Ardian Kozniku 1994–1998 (7) (2)[62][63]
- Kujtim Shala 1990 (1) (0)[64]
Montenegro
[edit]Martin Baturina
SFR Yugoslavia
[edit]- Dževad Turković 1994–1995 (6) (0)[65]
Serbia
[edit] Austria-Hungary
[edit]- Svetozar Džanić 1941 (1) (0)[66]
Slovenia
[edit] Kingdom of Yugoslavia
[edit]- Antun Lokošek 1944 (1) (1)[67]
SFR Yugoslavia
[edit]- Srebrenko Posavec 2006 (1) (0)[68]
- Gregor Židan 1990 (1) (0)[69][70]
Switzerland
[edit]- Ivan Rakitić 2007–2019 (106) (15)[71][72]
United States of America
[edit]- Zvonko Jazbec 1940 (3) (1)[73]
Records
[edit]This section is only about players born outside Croatia. Players in bold are currently active.
Most capped players
[edit]| # | Player | Period | Caps | Goals | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mateo Kovačić | 2013– | 106 | 5 | Austria
|
| 1 | Ivan Rakitić | 2007–2019 | 106 | 15 |  Switzerland
|
| 3 | Josip Šimunić | 2001–2013 | 105 | 3 | Australia
|
| 4 | Vedran Ćorluka | 2006–2018 | 103 | 4 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
|
| 5 | Robert Kovač | 1999–2009 | 84 | 0 | Germany (then West Germany)
|
| 6 | Niko Kovač | 1996–2008 | 83 | 14 | Germany (then West Germany)
|
| 7 | Dejan Lovren | 2009–2022 | 78 | 5 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
|
| 8 | Mario Pašalić | 2014– | 69 | 10 | Germany
|
| 9 | Eduardo Da Silva | 2004–2014 | 64 | 29 | Brazil
|
| 10 | Robert Prosinečki | 1994–2002 | 49 | 10 | Germany (then West Germany)
|
| Mario Stanić | 1995–2003 | 49 | 7 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
| |
| Stjepan Tomas | 1998–2006 | 49 | 1 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
|
Top goalscorers
[edit]| # | Player | Goals | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eduardo Da Silva | 29 | Brazil
|
| 2 | Ivan Rakitić | 15 | Switzerland
|
| 3 | Niko Kovač | 14 | Germany (then West Germany)
|
| 4 | Mladen Petrić | 13 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
|
| 5 | Ivan Klasnić | 12 | Germany (then West Germany)
|
| 6 | Mario Pašalić | 10 | Germany
|
| Robert Prosinečki | 10 | Germany (then West Germany)
| |
| 8 | Mario Stanić | 7 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
|
| 9 | Nikica Jelavić | 6 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
|
| 10 | Mateo Kovačić | 5 | Austria
|
| Dejan Lovren | 5 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of SFR Yugoslavia)
|
Stats by country of birth
[edit]| Country | Total |
|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
35 |
| Germany
|
14 |
| Australia
|
3 |
| Slovenia
|
3 |
| Austria
|
2 |
| Brazil
|
2 |
| Kosovo
|
2 |
| Montenegro
|
1 |
| Serbia
|
1 |
| Switzerland
|
1 |
 United States
|
1 |
References
[edit]- ^ Davis, James (2002-04-28). "Turkey's world challenge born in Germany". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Joey Didulica". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ "Ante Šerić - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ "Josip Šimunić - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Mateo Kovačić". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Luka Sučić". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ "Miroslav Brozović - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Mirko Kokotović on https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=10872
- ^ Sulejman Rebac on https://eu-football.info/_manager.php?id=1076
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Mladen Bartulović". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Mario Bazina". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ "Stanko Bubalo - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Ante Budimir". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
- ^ "Nino Bule - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Vedran Ćorluka". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Darko Dražić (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ He switched to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1996
- ^ "Sead Halilović - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Mato Jajalo (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ He switched to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2016
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Nikica Jelavić". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Vedran Ješe". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Krunoslav Jurčić on https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=9933
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Marin Leovac". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Dejan Lovren". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Mato Neretljak on https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=14905
- ^ He also played for the Switzerland under-17 and under-21 national team
- ^ "Mladen Petrić - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Mladen Romić (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ Mario Stanić on https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=19934
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Mario Tokić (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ Stjepan Tomas on https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=21155
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Boris Živković (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Jakov Filipović". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Nikola Katić". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ He switched to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024
- ^ He also played for Bosnia and Herzegovina under-17, under-18 and under-19 national team
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Mirko Marić". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Luka Sučić (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Ivan Šunj". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Josip Šutalo (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-09-06.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Eduardo da Silva". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ He also played for Brazil under-17 and under-18 national football team
- ^ "Sammir é convocado para a Seleção Sub-17". www.furacao.com (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2014-03-07. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
- ^ "Sammir é convocado para a Seleção Brasileira Sub-18". www.furacao.com (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2014-03-07. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Sammir". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Ivo Iličević". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Niko Kovač on https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=11165
- ^ Robert Kovač on https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=11167
- ^ Ivan Klasnić on https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=10699
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Marijo Marić". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Tomislav Marić". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Robert Prosinečki on https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=17077
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Filip Tapalović". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Vladimir Vasilj on https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=21976
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Antonio Čolak". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Igor Matanović (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Marco Pašalić". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Mario Pašalić". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Marin Pongračić". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2021-10-09.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Josip Stanišić". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
- ^ He also played 2 unhofficial matches for Kosovo. https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/15736/Ardian_Kozniku.html
- ^ "Ardian Kozniku - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ "Kujtim Shala - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ "Dževad Turković - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ Born in Manđelos, in 1917, last year Vojvodina was still under Austro-Hungarian administration, he was an ethnic Serb who was unlucky to find himself playing in Građanski Zagreb at time of the start of the war. Under Ustashe regime, Serbs became the target of a genocidal policy which meant to exterminate one third, expel another third, and convert the remaining one. He had already become one of main players of the club, which was the most successful Croatian club and symbol of national pride, and has made three appearances for the Yugoslavia national team in its last games before the war started and Yugoslavia was dismembered and divided among Nazi Germany and its allies, one of them being Independent State of Croatia (NDH). He had already made three appearances as well for the team of the Banovina of Croatia, but when he received the call from NDH to play against Germany in Vienna in June 1941, it was a match of extreme symbolical importance as it was to be the debut of Croatia as independent state. And so it was, Croatia got defeated 1:5 and Džanić played. With the country in full-scale war, and living in Zagreb with very limited chances of escape, turning down the call was not even an option. However, despite his efforts in hiding dissatisfaction with the Nazi policies, Croatian authorities found out that he was secretly a member of the KPJ and executed him on June 18, 1941. This makes this inclusion in this list very special and controversial. He played in what was the most important game of Croatia until then, just to be brutally executed three days after.
- ^ "Anton Lokošek - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ "Srebrenko Posavec - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ He switched to Slovenia in 1992
- ^ "Gregor Židan - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ He also played for the Switzerland under-21 national team
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Ivan Rakitić". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
- ^ "Zvonko Jazbec - national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 2018-09-30.