Andrej Kramarić facts for kids
Kramarić with Croatia in 2018
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 19 June 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Zagreb, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | 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 | 256 | (117) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | 102 | (30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Andrej Kramarić (born on June 19, 1991) is a Croatian professional footballer. He plays as a forward for the German club TSG Hoffenheim. He also plays for the Croatia national team.
Kramarić started his football journey with 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 played his first official game for Dinamo when he was just 17 years old.
In 2013, Kramarić moved to HNK Rijeka. There, he scored 37 goals in 42 league games. After that, he joined Leicester City for a record fee of £9 million. He later went on loan to TSG Hoffenheim before joining them permanently. In 2019, he became Hoffenheim's all-time top goalscorer. In 2021, he became the top Croatian goalscorer in the Bundesliga.
Kramarić played 53 times for various Croatian youth teams, scoring 22 goals. He helped the Croatia U19 team reach the semi-finals of the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. He joined the senior national team in 2014. He has played in three UEFA European Championships and two FIFA World Cups. He helped Croatia reach the final of the 2018 World Cup and finish third in the 2022 World Cup.
Contents
Club Journey
Dinamo Zagreb
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 best youth scorer in the club's history.
He made his first game for Dinamo's senior team on May 24, 2009. He came on as a substitute in a league match. This was his only game for the first team during that season.
The next season, Kramarić joined the first-team squad full-time. He played his first game of the season in the UEFA Champions League. Later that year, he won his first league title with Dinamo. He scored seven goals in 24 games. He also played in the Croatian Cup and UEFA competitions.
The following season was tough for Kramarić. A new coach arrived, and Kramarić mostly played as a substitute. He had less playing time but still scored five goals. Despite his personal challenges, his team won both the league and the cup.
In 2012, Kramarić was loaned to another team, Lokomotiva Zagreb.
Lokomotiva Zagreb
In February 2012, Kramarić joined Lokomotiva on loan. He quickly became a very good striker there. He scored 20 goals in 44 league games during his time with the club.
In his first full season with Lokomotiva, he scored 15 goals. He finished second in the race for the league's top goalscorer. He also helped his team reach the Croatian Cup final.
Back to Dinamo Zagreb
Kramarić returned to Dinamo Zagreb in 2013. Many people thought he would become a key player. He started the season by helping Dinamo win the Croatian Supercup.
However, Kramarić found himself on the bench again. He was not happy about not playing much. This led to a disagreement with the club's director. Because of this, he was put on the transfer list.
Rijeka
Rijeka quickly signed Kramarić on August 31, 2013. He played his first game for Rijeka on September 15. He scored his first goal for the team in that match.
During a Croatian Cup game, Kramarić scored an amazing eight goals against BŠK Zmaj. In November 2013, he scored a fantastic goal against Lyon in the Europa League. He scored his first hat-trick of the season against Istra 1961. He also scored against Rijeka's rivals, Hajduk Split. Kramarić finished his first season with Rijeka by winning the Croatian Cup. He scored 27 goals in all competitions.
In July 2014, Kramarić won the Croatian Supercup with Rijeka. They beat his old club, Dinamo Zagreb.
He started the new season by scoring five goals in the first two matches. This included a hat-trick against Hajduk Split. By October 2014, he had scored over 20 goals in all competitions. He also scored a hat-trick in a Europa League match against Feyenoord. On November 9, Kramarić scored five goals against Lokomotiva Zagreb. This was a rare achievement in the league.
Leicester City
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On January 8, 2015, Premier League club Leicester City announced they would sign Kramarić. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract. 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 came on as a substitute in a home game against Stoke City. On February 10, Kramarić scored his first goal for the club against Arsenal.
Kramarić found it hard to get a regular spot in the starting team during the 2015–16 season. He played only two league games when Leicester won the Premier League title. This meant he did not play enough games to get a winner's medal.
TSG Hoffenheim
On January 20, 2016, Kramarić was loaned to the Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim. He played his first game against Bayern Munich. He scored his first goal in a draw with Werder Bremen.
On May 25, 2016, Kramarić signed a permanent four-year deal with Hoffenheim. In his first full season, he was Hoffenheim's top scorer with 18 goals. He scored a goal against German champions Bayern Munich, helping Hoffenheim win 1–0. Kramarić was a key player for Hoffenheim that season.
On October 23, 2018, Kramarić scored two goals in a 3–3 draw against Lyon in the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League. He also scored in other Champions League matches.
On March 29, 2019, Kramarić scored his 47th goal for Hoffenheim. This made him the club's all-time top Bundesliga goalscorer.
On June 20, 2020, Kramarić scored in a 4–0 victory over Union Berlin. On the last day of the season, June 27, he scored all four goals in a 4–0 win against Borussia Dortmund. He was the first Hoffenheim player to score four goals in a Bundesliga match. This win helped Hoffenheim finish sixth and qualify for the Europa League.
On September 13, Kramarić scored two goals in a cup match. On September 19, he scored a hat-trick in Hoffenheim's first league game of the season. This meant he scored nine goals in three games for the club. On September 27, he scored two goals in a 4–1 win over Bayern Munich. This ended Bayern's long unbeaten streak. On October 16, he was named the Bundesliga Player of the Month.
On January 24, 2021, he scored two goals against Köln. This made him the all-time top Croatian goalscorer in the Bundesliga, with 74 goals. On May 15, he scored his 19th goal of the season. This was a record for a Hoffenheim player.
On January 22, 2022, Kramarić scored his 100th goal for Hoffenheim. In the 2022–23 season, he 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. He also made his 50th assist in a 4–2 win over Union Berlin. This victory helped his team stay in the top league. On the final day of the 2023–24 season, he scored three goals against Bayern Munich.
International Career
Youth Teams
Kramarić played a total of 53 times for different Croatian youth teams. He scored 22 goals for them. His first game for a national team was in 2005 for the under-14 team. He then played for the under-16 and under-17 teams. For the under-17 team, he played 12 times and scored six goals. He also played for the under-18 team.
In 2008, he started playing for the under-19 team. They 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 in 2009. He was only 18 years old then.
Senior Team
On August 20, 2014, Kramarić was called up to the senior national team for the first time. He made his debut for Croatia on September 4, 2014. He provided an assist in that friendly match. He received good reviews for his first game.
Kramarić scored his first goal for Croatia in his competitive debut against Malta. His second goal was against Azerbaijan in October 2014.
On October 9, 2017, Kramarić scored two important goals against Ukraine. These goals helped Croatia qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup playoffs. On June 4, 2018, he was chosen for Croatia's World Cup squad. On July 7, in the World Cup quarter-final against hosts Russia, he scored Croatia's first goal. The game went to penalties, and Croatia won. He later played as a substitute in the final, where Croatia lost to France.
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Kramarić scored twice in a 4–1 win against Canada. Croatia reached the semi-finals and finished third in the tournament. He was also part of the Croatia team that finished second in the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League. In the UEFA Euro 2024, he scored a goal against Albania on his birthday.
On October 15, 2024, he played his 100th international match for Croatia. This was in a 3–3 draw against Poland in the UEFA Nations League.
How He Plays
Kramarić is known as a very flexible striker. He is quick and often runs behind defenders. He doesn't just wait for the ball; he moves towards it, making it hard for opponents to predict him. Even though he is naturally a main striker, he can also play well as a winger or a second striker. His former national team coach compared him to the famous Croatian striker Davor Šuker. In 2021, his former Hoffenheim coach said Kramarić was the best player he had ever worked with.
Personal Life
On March 31, 2021, Kramarić married Mia Ćurković in a private ceremony in Zagreb. In late August 2021, they had a son named Viktor.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2008–09 | Prva HNL | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2009–10 | Prva HNL | 24 | 7 | 5 | 4 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 34 | 11 | |||
| 2010–11 | Prva HNL | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 17 | 5 | |||
| 2011–12 | Prva HNL | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | ||||
| 2013–14 | Prva HNL | 4 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 3 | |||
| Total | 42 | 10 | 10 | 9 | — | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 63 | 20 | |||
| Lokomotiva Zagreb (loan) | 2011–12 | Prva HNL | 13 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 5 | ||||
| 2012–13 | Prva HNL | 31 | 15 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | 37 | 19 | ||||
| Total | 44 | 20 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | 50 | 24 | |||||
| Rijeka | 2013–14 | Prva HNL | 24 | 16 | 6 | 10 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 34 | 27 | ||
| 2014–15 | Prva HNL | 18 | 21 | — | — | 12 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 28 | |||
| Total | 42 | 37 | 6 | 10 | — | 16 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 65 | 55 | |||
| Leicester City | 2014–15 | Premier League | 13 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 15 | 3 | |||
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 15 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 20 | 4 | ||||
| TSG Hoffenheim (loan) | 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 15 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 15 | 5 | ||||
| TSG Hoffenheim | 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 34 | 15 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | 36 | 18 | |||
| 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 34 | 13 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 42 | 13 | |||
| 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 30 | 17 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 5 | — | 37 | 22 | |||
| 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 19 | 12 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 12 | ||||
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 28 | 20 | 2 | 3 | — | 4 | 2 | — | 34 | 25 | |||
| 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 32 | 6 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 35 | 8 | ||||
| 2022–23 | Bundesliga | 32 | 12 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 12 | ||||
| 2023–24 | Bundesliga | 30 | 15 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 31 | 17 | ||||
| 2024–25 | Bundesliga | 17 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 26 | 7 | |||
| Total | 271 | 122 | 17 | 10 | — | 22 | 7 | — | 310 | 139 | ||||
| Career total | 414 | 191 | 41 | 34 | 3 | 1 | 48 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 508 | 242 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 2014 | 4 | 2 |
| 2015 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2018 | 15 | 4 | |
| 2019 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 15 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 16 | 6 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 5 | |
| 2024 | 13 | 3 | |
| Total | 102 | 30 | |
- Croatia's score listed first, score column indicates score after each Kramarić goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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| 1 | 9 September 2014 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia | 2 |  Malta |
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UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 2 | 13 October 2014 | Stadion Gradski vrt, Osijek, Croatia | 3 |  Azerbaijan |
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| 3 | 7 June 2015 | Stadion Varteks, Varaždin, Croatia | 6 |  Gibraltar |
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Friendly |
| 4 | 27 May 2016 | Stadion Koprivnica, Koprivnica, Croatia | 10 |  Moldova |
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| 5 | 15 November 2016 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | 18 |  Northern Ireland |
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| 6 | 9 October 2017 | Olympic Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine | 25 |  Ukraine |
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2–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
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| 8 | 9 November 2017 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia | 26 |  Greece |
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| 9 | 8 June 2018 | Stadion Gradski vrt, Osijek, Croatia | 31 |  Senegal |
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Friendly |
| 10 | 7 July 2018 | Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia | 36 |  Russia |
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2018 FIFA World Cup |
| 11 | 15 November 2018 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia | 41 |  Spain |
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2018–19 UEFA Nations League A |
| 12 | 18 November 2018 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 42 |  England |
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| 13 | 21 March 2019 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia | 43 | Azerbaijan |
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UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 14 | 11 October 2020 | 49 |  Sweden |
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2020–21 UEFA Nations League A | |
| 15 | 11 October 2021 | Stadion Gradski vrt, Osijek, Croatia | 63 |  Slovakia |
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2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16 | 11 November 2021 | National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | 64 | Malta |
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| 17 | 26 March 2022 | Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar | 66 |  Slovenia |
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Friendly |
| 18 | 29 March 2022 | 67 |  Bulgaria |
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| 19 | 6 June 2022 | Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia | 69 |  France |
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2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
| 20 | 16 November 2022 | Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 74 |  Saudi Arabia |
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Friendly |
| 21 | 27 November 2022 | Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar | 76 |  Canada |
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2022 FIFA World Cup |
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| 23 | 25 March 2023 | Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia | 82 |  Wales |
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UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 24 | 14 June 2023 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | 84 |  Netherlands |
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2023 UEFA Nations League Finals |
| 25 | 8 September 2023 | Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia | 86 |  Latvia |
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UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 26 | 11 September 2023 | Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia | 87 |  Armenia |
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| 27 | 17 November 2023 | Skonto, Riga, Latvia | 88 | Latvia |
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| 28 | 26 March 2024 | Misr Stadium, New Capital, Egypt | 91 |  Egypt |
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2024 FIFA Series |
| 29 | 19 June 2024 | Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany | 95 |  Albania |
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UEFA Euro 2024 |
| 30 | 12 October 2024 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia | 99 |  Scotland |
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2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
Honours
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
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2018; third place: 2022
- UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2022–23
Individual
- 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
