Domagoj Vida facts for kids
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Vida with Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Domagoj Vida | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 29 April 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Našice, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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AEK Athens | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2003 | NK Jedinstvo Donji Miholjac | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Osijek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2010 | Osijek | 90 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Bayer Leverkusen | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Dinamo Zagreb | 44 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2018 | Dynamo Kyiv | 105 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2022 | Beşiktaş | 137 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022– | AEK Athens | 86 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Croatia U19 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Croatia U20 | 10 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Croatia U21 | 19 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2024 | Croatia | 105 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 09:57, 12 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:24, 3 June 2024 (UTC) |
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Domagoj Vida is a professional footballer from Croatia. He was born on April 29, 1989. He plays as a defender for Super League Greece club AEK Athens. He can play in any defensive spot, but he is usually a centre-back.
Vida is special because he was the first Croatian footballer to win a league title in four different European countries. He won titles with Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia, Dynamo Kyiv in Ukraine, Beşiktaş in Turkey, and AEK Athens in Greece.
Contents
Vida's Club Journey
Starting in Youth Football
Domagoj Vida spent his early football years in Croatia. He grew up playing in the youth system of Osijek. He first joined the senior team when he was just 17 years old, during the 2006–07 season. He played in 12 games that season. In the 2007–08 season, he played even more often for his club.
Playing for Bayer Leverkusen
On April 29, 2010, Vida signed with Bayer Leverkusen, a German club in the Bundesliga. He stayed with them for only one season. During this time, he played eight games in the UEFA Europa League. He made his only Bundesliga appearance on March 5, 2011.
Time at Dinamo Zagreb
On June 14, 2011, Vida joined Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia. On July 25, 2012, Vida scored a very late goal against Ludogorets Razgrad in a UEFA Champions League match. This goal helped his team win 3–2 at home and move to the next round. Later, he faced disciplinary action for breaking team rules.
Moving to Dynamo Kyiv
On January 2, 2013, Vida signed a five-year deal with Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv. He played his first game for Dynamo on February 14 in a Europa League match. His first game in the Ukrainian Premier League was on March 3.
On March 17, Vida scored his first goal for Dynamo. It was an excellent header from a corner kick. This goal helped Dynamo win 1–0. On May 17, 2015, Vida scored the winning goal against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. This win helped Dynamo Kyiv win their first Ukrainian Premier League title in six years.
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Joining Beşiktaş
On January 3, 2018, Vida moved to Beşiktaş in Turkey. He signed a contract for four and a half years. Vida played his first game for Beşiktaş on February 21, 2018. It was a 2–1 away win. Vida was sent off (given a red card) early in a UEFA Champions League match against Bayern Munich after a foul. Beşiktaş lost that match 5–0.
Playing for AEK Athens
On July 31, 2022, Vida signed with Greek club AEK Athens. He made his first appearance on August 20, 2022, in a 3–0 win. On January 22, he scored his first goal for the club. Vida scored an important last-minute header in a 2–2 draw against Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League play-offs. This helped AEK move forward in the competition. He also scored a powerful header against Ajax on October 5, 2023, in a 1–1 draw.
Vida's International Career
Vida was an active player for the Croatia national under-21 team. On May 23, 2010, he played his first full international game for Croatia. It was a 2–0 win against Wales. He came into the game as a substitute. In 2011, he played in four UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying matches. This helped Croatia get a spot in the finals.
On September 10, 2013, Vida scored his first goal for the national team. It was in a friendly match against South Korea. Vida was part of the Croatian team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. However, he did not play in any games during that tournament. He became a regular player again during the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying. He also played in three matches at the finals.
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On September 3, 2017, Vida scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Kosovo. This was during the World Cup qualification.
In June 2018, he was chosen for Croatia's team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Vida scored a header in the quarter-final against host team Russia. This gave his team a 2–1 lead in extra time. The game ended 2–2, and Vida scored his penalty kick in the penalty shootout. This helped Croatia move forward. In the final, he helped set up Croatia's first goal. Croatia finished as runners-up in the tournament. On October 15, 2018, he was the captain of the national team for the first time. He also scored in a friendly win against Jordan.
On November 11, 2020, he was captain again in a friendly match. On November 16, 2022, he played his 100th match for Croatia. Croatia finished third at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He announced his retirement from international football after the UEFA Euro 2024.
A Moment of Controversy
During the 2018 World Cup, Vida and another player celebrated a victory by shouting a phrase that is a common slogan in Ukraine. This caused some discussion because FIFA's rules do not allow political slogans. Vida later said it was "just a joke." He also apologized to the Russian people.
Vida's Personal Life
Domagoj Vida was born in Našice, Croatia. He grew up in Donji Miholjac. His father, Rudika Vida, was also a footballer.
In 2015, Vida and his fiancée, Ivana Gugić, had their first child, a son named David. Vida and Gugić got married in Umag in June 2017.
Honours and Awards
Dinamo Zagreb
- Prva HNL: 2011–12, 2012–13
- Croatian Cup: 2011–12
Dynamo Kyiv
- Ukrainian Premier League: 2014–15, 2015–16
- Ukrainian Cup: 2013–14, 2014–15
- Ukrainian Super Cup: 2016
Beşiktaş
- Süper Lig: 2020–21
- Turkish Cup: 2020–21
- Turkish Super Cup: 2021
AEK Athens
- Super League Greece: 2022–23
- Greek Cup: 2022–23
Croatia
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2018; third place: 2022
Orders
Order of Duke Branimir: 2018
Individual Awards
- Ukrainian Premier League Centre-back of the Year: 2016–17
- Süper Lig Team of the Season: 2018–19, 2020–21
- Super League Greece Team of the Season: 2023–24
Images for kids
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Vida in 2010
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Vida (left) with Dynamo Kyiv in 2015
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Vida in 2013
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Vida and his Croatian teammates celebrate a goal during the 2018 World Cup.
See also
In Spanish: Domagoj Vida para niños
