Šime Vrsaljko facts for kids
Vrsaljko with Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Šime Vrsaljko | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 10 January 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rijeka, Croatia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Right-back | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Dinamo Zagreb | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Dinamo Zagreb | 73 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | → Lokomotiva (loan) | 17 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Genoa | 22 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Sassuolo | 57 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2022 | Atlético Madrid | 70 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | → Inter Milan (loan) | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Olympiacos | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 230 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Croatia U15 | 5 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Croatia U17 | 16 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Croatia U18 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Croatia U19 | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Croatia U20 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | Croatia U21 | 12 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2022 | Croatia | 52 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Šime Vrsaljko (born 10 January 1992) is a Croatian former professional footballer. He played as a right-back. During his 13-year career, Vrsaljko played for clubs in Italy, Spain, and Greece.
Vrsaljko first played for the Croatian national team in 2011. He represented his country in major tournaments. These included the UEFA European Championship in 2012, 2016, and 2020. He also played in the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and 2018. In 2018, his team reached the final of the World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Croatia
Vrsaljko began his senior football career at Lokomotiva. This team was linked to Dinamo Zagreb. He played for Lokomotiva during the 2009–10 season. He made his first appearance in Croatia's top league on 26 July 2009. He was only 17 years old at the time. He played in 17 league matches for Lokomotiva that year.
Joining Dinamo Zagreb
In December 2009, Vrsaljko returned to Dinamo Zagreb. He played his first match for Dinamo on 27 February 2010. By the end of that season, he had played 27 league games in total. He also played in a semi-final match for the 2009–10 Croatian Cup.
The next season, he missed some early games because he was playing for the Croatian under-19 team. He made his first appearance of the season for Dinamo on 31 July. He also played in his first European competition match. In August 2010, a French club offered €4 million for him. However, Dinamo Zagreb turned down the offer. On 29 August, he scored his first league goal for Dinamo. Because he played so well, he was named the Croatian Football Hope of the Year for 2010. By the end of the season, Dinamo won both the league and the cup.
In the 2011–12 season, he helped Dinamo qualify for the UEFA Champions League. He was sent off in a play-off match, which meant he missed three Champions League games. He later played in two Champions League matches. In the domestic league, he played 22 games and helped with 5 goals. Dinamo won the league and cup again that year.
After playing for Croatia in the Euro 2012, he helped Dinamo qualify for the Champions League once more. He played in 4 Champions League matches. He also played in 25 league games, helping with three goals.
Playing in Italy
On 12 July 2013, Vrsaljko moved to Italy to play for Genoa. He joined them for €4.6 million. In his first season in Italy, he often played as a right-back or right-wing. He played in 22 matches but missed some due to an injury.
Moving to Sassuolo
On 22 July 2014, Vrsaljko signed with Sassuolo for €3.5 million. He became a very important player in Sassuolo's defense. He helped the team finish 6th in the league, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Europa League for the first time ever.
Time at Atlético Madrid
In 2016, Vrsaljko joined La Liga club Atlético Madrid in Spain. He signed a five-year contract, which was extended in 2018. On 16 May 2018, Vrsaljko started in the Europa League final. Atlético Madrid won the title that year.
Loan to Inter Milan
On 31 July 2018, Vrsaljko went on loan to Inter Milan in Italy for one year. He had an option to be bought by the club later. However, on 27 January 2019, he had knee surgery. This meant he would be out of play for at least six months.
Back at Atlético Madrid
Vrsaljko returned to play on 26 January 2020, after being out for a year. He started a game against Leganés. On 18 February, he played in a Champions League match against Liverpool, which Atlético won 1–0. In August, he tested positive for COVID-19, which meant he missed a game.
After another knee surgery, Vrsaljko returned to the field on 16 December. He scored a goal in a cup match against Cardassar.
Short Stay in Greece and Retirement
On 2 July 2022, Vrsaljko joined Super League Greece club Olympiacos for free. He signed a three-year deal. He played his first game for them on 20 July in a Champions League qualifier. However, in November 2022, his contract was ended by agreement.
On 23 March 2023, Šime Vrsaljko announced he was retiring from football. He was 31 years old.
International Career
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Vrsaljko was first called up to the Croatia national football team on 2 November 2010. He made his debut for the national team on 9 February 2011 in a friendly match. In May 2012, he was chosen for Croatia's team for UEFA Euro 2012. He was initially removed from the final list but was called back due to another player's injury. He did not play in any of Croatia's matches at the tournament.
During the qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, he played in one match. In May 2014, he was named in Croatia's squad for the World Cup in Brazil. Due to injuries on the team, Vrsaljko played as a left-back in the opening match against Brazil. He also played in the match against Mexico, which Croatia lost, leading to their elimination.
On 12 November 2014, at just 22 years old, he was the captain of the national team in a game against Argentina. He became one of the youngest captains in the team's history.
In May 2018, he was part of Croatia's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He started in six of the seven matches as Croatia finished as runners-up. He also played in three matches of the UEFA Nations League.
In September 2020, Vrsaljko returned to the national team after almost two years. He had been out due to knee surgery. He played his first game back for the national team on 24 March 2021. However, his performances led to him being dropped from the starting team.
He played his last game for the national team on 10 June 2022. It was a Nations League victory against Denmark. He officially retired from international football on 26 August 2022. He played a total of 52 games for Croatia and did not score any goals.
Personal Life
Šime Vrsaljko was born in 1992 in Rijeka, Croatia. His family had moved there because of fighting near their hometown of Zadar. His father, Mladen, was also a footballer. His uncle was a commander in a special military unit during the Croatian War of Independence.
In June 2017, Vrsaljko married his high school sweetheart, Matea Kedžo. They had their first child, a son, on 6 June 2018.
In January 2019, a famous photograph of Vrsaljko was taken. It showed him lying on a Croatian flag after the 2018 World Cup semi-final match against England. This photo was chosen as one of the most beautiful sports photos in the world. Many people in Croatia called it "legendary."
Achievements and Awards
Dinamo Zagreb
- Croatian League Champion: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13
- Croatian Cup Winner: 2010–11, 2011–12
Atlético Madrid
- Spanish League Champion: 2020–21
- Europa League Winner: 2017–18
Croatia
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2018
Individual Awards
- Croatian Football Hope of the Year: 2010
- Croatian First Football League Team of the Year: 2012–13
- FIFA FIFPro World XI 5th team: 2018
- Honorary citizen of the Zadar County: 2019
- City of Zadar Award: 2018
Orders
Order of Duke Branimir: 2018
See also
In Spanish: Šime Vrsaljko para niños
