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Andrej Kramarić

Kramarić with Croatia in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Andrej Kramarić
Date of birth	(1991-06-19) 19 June 1991 (age 34)
Place of birth	Zagreb, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Forward, attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	TSG Hoffenheim
Number	27
Youth career
1997–2009	Dinamo Zagreb
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2013	Dinamo Zagreb	42	(10)
2012–2013	→ Lokomotiva Zagreb (loan)	44	(20)
2013–2015	Rijeka	42	(37)
2015–2016	Leicester City	15	(2)
2016	→ TSG Hoffenheim (loan)	15	(5)
2016–	TSG Hoffenheim	271	(121)
International career‡
2005	Croatia U14	2	(0)
2007	Croatia U16	7	(4)
2007–2008	Croatia U17	12	(6)
2008–2009	Croatia U18	9	(3)
2008–2010	Croatia U19	12	(3)
2011	Croatia U20	2	(1)
2009–2013	Croatia U21	9	(5)
2014–	Croatia	106	(34)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Croatia FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2018 Russia Third 2022 Qatar UEFA Nations League Runner-up 2023 Netherlands UEFA European Under-19 Championship Bronze 2010 France
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:01, 10 June 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 00:05, 10 June 2025 (UTC)

Andrej Kramarić (born on June 19, 1991) is a professional footballer from Croatia. He plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for the German club TSG Hoffenheim and for the Croatian national team.

Andrej started his football journey at his hometown club, Dinamo Zagreb. He holds the amazing record for scoring the most goals as a youth player in the club's history. He made his first official appearance for Dinamo when he was just 17 years old.

In 2013, after a disagreement with the Dinamo club management, Kramarić moved to HNK Rijeka. There, he scored 37 goals in 42 league games. This impressive performance led to his transfer to Leicester City for a record fee of £9 million. He played for Leicester for about a year and a half, including a loan spell at TSG Hoffenheim, before joining Hoffenheim permanently. On March 29, 2019, he became Hoffenheim's all-time top goalscorer. By January 24, 2021, he was also the top Croatian goalscorer in the Bundesliga.

Kramarić played 53 times for various Croatian youth teams, scoring 22 goals. He was part of the Croatian team that reached the semi-finals of the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. He joined the senior national team in 2014. Since then, he has played in three UEFA European Championships (2016, 2020, and 2024) and two FIFA World Cups (2018 and 2022). He helped Croatia reach the final in 2018 and finish third in 2022.

Andrej Kramarić's Club Career

Starting at Dinamo Zagreb

Kramarić playing for Dinamo Zagreb in 2009

Andrej Kramarić joined Dinamo Zagreb when he was only six years old. As a young player, he scored over 450 goals for Dinamo's youth teams. This made him the top youth scorer in the club's history.

He made his first team debut for Dinamo on May 24, 2009. This was in a league match against Zagreb. He came on as a substitute in the 69th minute. This was his only game for the first team during the 2008–09 season.

Kramarić joined the first team full-time the next season. He played his first game of the 2009–10 season in the UEFA Champions League on July 15. This match against Pyunik ended in a 0–0 draw. Later that year, Kramarić won his first league title with Dinamo. He scored seven goals in 24 games. He also played in five Croatian Cup matches, scoring four goals. He made five appearances in UEFA competitions.

The next season was a bit tough for Kramarić. A new coach, Vahid Halilhodžić, arrived, and Kramarić was mostly used as a substitute. He played less than 600 minutes in 17 games during the 2010–11 season, scoring five goals. Even with his personal challenges, his team won both the league and cup.

In the first half of the 2011–12 season, Kramarić's role at the club did not change. He only played three games before the winter break. People started to wonder if he would leave the club. In February 2012, it was announced that Kramarić would be loaned to Lokomotiva Zagreb.

Loan to Lokomotiva Zagreb

In February 2012, Kramarić was loaned to Lokomotiva until the end of the season. At Lokomotiva, he became a very strong striker. He scored 20 goals in 44 league games during his year and a half there. In his first full season with Lokomotiva, he finished second in the top goalscorer race with 15 goals. He also helped his team reach the Croatian Cup final, where they lost to Hajduk Split.

Returning to Dinamo Zagreb

There was a lot of excitement when Kramarić returned to Dinamo Zagreb for the 2013–14 season. Many experts thought he would become the strong striker Dinamo needed. He started his return season as a late substitute in a Croatian Supercup match. Dinamo won their first trophy of the season by beating Hajduk Split in a penalty shootout.

However, things did not go well for Kramarić. He found himself on the bench again. He quickly became upset and told the press he wasn't getting enough playing time. This made the club director, Zoran Mamić, decide to put the young star on the transfer list.

Playing for Rijeka

Rijeka quickly signed Kramarić on August 31, 2013, after his disagreement with Dinamo. Kramarić played his first game for Rijeka on September 15. He started in a league match against Slaven Belupo. He scored his first goal for the team in the 15th minute, which was the only goal of the match.

During a Croatian Cup match, Kramarić scored an amazing eight goals against BŠK Zmaj. In November 2013, he scored a fantastic goal against Lyon in the Europa League group stage. He scored his first hat-trick of the season against Istra 1961 in a 3–3 draw, even though he missed a penalty in that game. He then scored another goal against Rijeka's rivals, Hajduk Split. Kramarić ended his first season with Rijeka by winning the Croatian Cup. He scored 27 goals in all competitions.

In July 2014, just before the new season started, Kramarić won the Croatian Supercup. Rijeka defeated his old club, Dinamo Zagreb, who were the champions at the time.

Kramarić started the 2014–15 season by scoring five goals in the first two matches. This included a hat-trick against Hajduk Split. By the end of October 2014, he had already scored more than 20 goals in all competitions. This included a hat-trick in a Europa League match against Feyenoord. On November 9, Kramarić scored five goals against Lokomotiva Zagreb in a 6–0 home win. This was a rare achievement in the league. For 14 years, no player had scored more than four goals in one match. Only two other players in history had scored that many.

Moving to Leicester City

Kramarić warming up for Leicester City in 2015

On January 8, 2015, Premier League club Leicester City announced they would sign Kramarić. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract. The transfer depended on him getting a work permit, which he successfully received.

On January 16, Leicester announced Kramarić had officially joined the club. He would wear the number 40 jersey. His transfer fee was £9 million, which was a club record for Leicester at the time. He made his debut the day after signing. He replaced striker Jamie Vardy for the last 25 minutes of a 0–1 home loss against Stoke City. On February 10, Kramarić scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 away loss against Arsenal.

Kramarić did not get a regular starting spot in the early part of the 2015–16 season. He played only two league games when Leicester became Premier League champions. This meant he did not qualify for a winner's medal, as players needed to play at least five league games.

Joining TSG Hoffenheim

On January 20, 2016, Kramarić was loaned to the Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim. He played his first game against Bayern Munich on January 31. He then scored his first goal in a draw with Werder Bremen. In that game, he was also sent off in the 77th minute after getting two yellow cards. On April 30, he missed a penalty against Ingolstadt 04, but Hoffenheim still won 2–1.

On May 25, 2016, Kramarić signed a permanent four-year deal with Hoffenheim. In his first full season (2016–17), he was Hoffenheim's top scorer with 18 goals (15 in the league). On April 4, Kramarić scored a goal in the 21st minute to give Hoffenheim the lead against German champions Bayern Munich. Hoffenheim won that game 1–0. Kramarić was seen as one of Hoffenheim's most important players in their 2016–17 season, where they finished fourth.

On October 23, 2018, Kramarić scored two goals in a 3–3 draw against Lyon in the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League. He then scored a goal in each of the return matches against Lyon, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Manchester City. On March 29, 2019, he scored his 47th goal for Hoffenheim in a 4–1 league win over Bayer Leverkusen. This made him the club's all-time top Bundesliga goalscorer, passing Sejad Salihović. On April 28, he missed a penalty against VfL Wolfsburg when Hoffenheim was leading 1–0. Wolfsburg then came back to win 4–1. This left Hoffenheim four points behind fourth place, which is the last spot for the Champions League. This was his second league penalty miss for Hoffenheim, and third overall.

Kramarić with TSG Hoffenheim in 2019

On June 20, 2020, Kramarić scored in a 4–0 victory over Union Berlin. On the last matchday, June 27, he scored all four goals in a 4–0 away win against second-placed Borussia Dortmund. He was the first Hoffenheim player to score four goals in a Bundesliga match. He also became the first player to score four goals against Dortmund away in a single game. This victory helped Hoffenheim finish sixth in the league and qualify for the Europa League group stage.

On September 13, Kramarić scored both goals in a 2–2 draw with Chemnitzer FC in the DFB-Pokal. He also scored a penalty in the shootout, which Hoffenheim won 3–2. On September 19, in Hoffenheim's first league game of the 2020–21 season, Kramarić scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 win over Köln. This meant he scored nine goals in three straight games for the club, being the only goalscorer in all three. He also broke Mario Gómez's record for goals scored in consecutive Bundesliga matches (7), by scoring eight in four straight league games.

On September 27, he scored two goals in a 4–1 victory over German and European champions Bayern Munich. This ended Bayern's 32-game unbeaten streak and 23-game winning streak. It was their first loss of the year. On October 16, he was named the Bundesliga Player of the Month. The same day, it was announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19. On January 24, 2021, he scored two goals in a 3–0 win over Köln. This made him the all-time top Croatian goalscorer in the Bundesliga with 74 goals, passing Ivica Olić. On May 15, in a 1–1 draw with Arminia Bielefeld, he scored his 19th goal of the season. This was a record for a Hoffenheim player, beating Vedad Ibišević's 18 goals from the 2008–09 season.

On January 22, 2022, Kramarić scored his 100th goal for Hoffenheim in all competitions. This was the first goal in a 3–2 home loss against Borussia Dortmund. In the 2022–23 season, Kramarić reached two big milestones. He scored his 100th Bundesliga goal and made his 50th assist for Hoffenheim. On May 20, 2023, he scored his 99th and 100th goals, and also made his 50th assist in a 4–2 win over Union Berlin. This win helped Hoffenheim stay in the top league. On the final matchday of the 2023–24 season, he scored three goals in a 4–2 win over Bayern Munich. He became the third player to score a "flawless hat-trick" for the club.

Andrej Kramarić's International Career

Youth Teams

Kramarić played a total of 53 times for various Croatian youth teams and scored 22 goals. His first national team game was on March 31, 2005, against the Bavaria national team. He was playing for the under-14 team and played two games for them. Kramarić then played for the under-16 and under-17 teams. He played seven friendly matches for the under-16 team, scoring four goals. For the under-17 team, he played 12 times and scored six goals. He also played in all the qualifiers for the 2008 European U–17 Championship. For the under-18 team, Kramarić played nine times and scored three goals.

In 2008, he started playing for the under-19 team. With this team, he reached the semi-finals of the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. He made his debut and scored his first goal for the under-21 team on September 5, 2009. This was in a European Championship qualifier against Norway. He was only 18 years and 81 days old at the time.

Kramarić playing for Croatia in 2018

Senior National Team

On August 20, 2014, Kramarić was called up for the first time to the Croatian senior squad. This was for a friendly match against Cyprus and a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Malta. He made his debut for Croatia on September 4, 2014, in the friendly match against Cyprus. He provided an assist for Mario Mandžukić in the 18th minute. He received good reviews for his first performance. Kramarić scored his first goal for Croatia in his first competitive game, a qualifying match against Malta. He scored his second goal against Azerbaijan on October 13, 2014.

On October 9, 2017, Kramarić scored two goals in a very important 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Ukraine. This helped Croatia qualify for the playoffs. On June 4, 2018, he was included in Croatia's final World Cup squad. On July 7, in the 2018 FIFA World Cup quarter-final match against hosts Russia, he scored Croatia's equalizing goal in the first half. The game was 1–1 after 90 minutes and went into extra time. After a 2–2 draw after 120 minutes, Croatia won 4–3 in a penalty shootout. He later came on as a substitute in the final, where Croatia lost to France 4–2.

In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Kramarić scored twice in a 4–1 victory against Canada in the group stage. Croatia reached the semifinals and finished third in that tournament. He was also part of the Croatian team that finished second in the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League. In the UEFA Euro 2024, he scored a goal in a 2–2 draw against Albania. He became the third player to score in the tournament on his birthday.

On October 15, 2024, he played in his 100th international match for Croatia. This was a 3–3 away draw with Poland during the UEFA Nations League.

Andrej Kramarić's Playing Style

Kramarić is known as a very flexible striker. He is fast enough to run past defenders and doesn't just wait for the ball. He often runs towards the ball, making it hard for opponents to predict what he will do. Even though he is naturally a lone striker, he can also play well as a winger or a second striker. His former national team coach, Niko Kovač, compared him to the famous Croatian striker Davor Šuker. In May 2021, his former Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann said Kramarić was the best player he had ever worked with.

Andrej Kramarić's Personal Life

Andrej's parents are from Bednja, a village in the Hrvatsko Zagorje region. He spent part of his childhood there. At the 2018 World Cup, he held a flag that said "Bednja" during the celebrations after a match.

On March 31, 2021, Kramarić married Mia Ćurković in a private ceremony in Zagreb Upper Town. In late August 2021, they became parents to a son named Viktor.

Career statistics

Club

International

Croatia's score listed first, score column indicates score after each Kramarić goal.

List of international goals scored by Andrej Kramarić

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	9 September 2014	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	2	Malta	2–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
2	13 October 2014	Gradski Vrt Stadium, Osijek, Croatia	3	Azerbaijan	1–0	6–0
3	7 June 2015	Stadion Varteks, Varaždin, Croatia	6	Gibraltar	4–0	4–0	Friendly
4	27 May 2016	Stadion Koprivnica, Koprivnica, Croatia	10	Moldova	1–0	1–0
5	15 November 2016	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	18	Northern Ireland	3–0	3–0
6	9 October 2017	Olympic Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine	25	Ukraine	1–0	2–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
7					2–0
8	9 November 2017	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	26	Greece	4–1	4–1
9	8 June 2018	Gradski Vrt Stadium, Osijek, Croatia	31	Senegal	2–1	2–1	Friendly
10	7 July 2018	Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia	36	Russia	1–1	2–2 (aet)	2018 FIFA World Cup
11	15 November 2018	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	41	Spain	1–0	3–2	2018–19 UEFA Nations League A
12	18 November 2018	Wembley Stadium, London, England	42	England	1–0	1–2
13	21 March 2019	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	43	Azerbaijan	2–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
14	11 October 2020		49	Sweden	2–1	2–1	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
15	11 October 2021	Gradski Vrt Stadium, Osijek, Croatia	63	Slovakia	1–1	2–2	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
16	11 November 2021	National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta	64	Malta	6–1	7–1
17	26 March 2022	Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar	66	Slovenia	1–0	1–1	Friendly
18	29 March 2022		67	Bulgaria	2–1	2–1
19	6 June 2022	Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia	69	France	1–1	1–1	2022–23 UEFA Nations League A
20	16 November 2022	Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	74	Saudi Arabia	1–0	1–0	Friendly
21	27 November 2022	Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar	76	Canada	1–1	4–1	2022 FIFA World Cup
22					3–1
23	25 March 2023	Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia	82	Wales	1–0	1–1	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
24	14 June 2023	De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands	84	Netherlands	1–1	4–2 (aet)	2023 UEFA Nations League Finals
25	8 September 2023	Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia	86	Latvia	4–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
26	11 September 2023	Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia	87	Armenia	1–0	1–0
27	17 November 2023	Skonto, Riga, Latvia	88	Latvia	2–0	2–0
28	26 March 2024	Misr Stadium, New Capital, Egypt	91	Egypt	3–1	4–2	2024 FIFA Series
29	19 June 2024	Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany	95	Albania	1–1	2–2	UEFA Euro 2024
30	12 October 2024	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	99	Scotland	2–1	2–1	2024–25 UEFA Nations League A
31	6 June 2025	Estádio Algarve, Faro/Loulé, Portugal	105	Gibraltar	6–0	7–0	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
32					7–0
33	9 June 2025	Opus Arena, Osijek, Croatia	106	Czech Republic	1–0	5–1
34					5–1

Honours and Awards

Dinamo Zagreb

• Prva HNL: 2009–10, 2010–11
• Croatian Cup: 2010–11
• Croatian Super Cup: 2013

Rijeka

• Croatian Cup: 2013–14
• Croatian Super Cup: 2014

Croatia National Team

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2018; third place: 2022
• UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2022–23

Individual Awards

• Prva HNL Player of the Year: 2014
• Football Oscar Team of the Year: 2013, 2014
• Ivica Jobo Kurtini Award: 2014
• Prva HNL Top goalscorer: 2014–15
• Croatian Cup Top goalscorer: 2013–14
• Hoffenheim Player of the Season: 2016–17
• Bundesliga Player of the Month: September 2020

Orders

• Order of Duke Branimir: 2018

See also

In Spanish: Andrej Kramarić para niños