Ivan Rakitić facts for kids
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Rakitić with Sevilla in 2020
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ivan Rakitić | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 10 March 1988 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rheinfelden, Switzerland | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1995 | Möhlin-Riburg | |||||||||||||||
| 1995–2005 | FC Basel | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2004 | Nordstern Basel | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | FC Basel II | 21 | (9) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | FC Basel | 34 | (11) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Schalke 04 | 97 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Sevilla | 117 | (25) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2020 | Barcelona | 200 | (25) | |||||||||||||
| 2020–2024 | Sevilla | 121 | (11) | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | Al-Shabab | 8 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Hajduk Split | 35 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 633 | (96) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Switzerland U16 | 10 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Switzerland U17 | 12 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Switzerland U19 | 16 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Switzerland U21 | 4 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Croatia U21 | 4 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2019 | Croatia | 106 | (15) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Ivan Rakitić (Croatian pronunciation: [ǐʋan rǎkititɕ]; born 10 March 1988) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is known for his amazing skills on the field.
Rakitić began his career at Basel in Switzerland. After two seasons, he moved to Schalke 04 in Germany. In 2011, he joined Sevilla in Spain. He became team captain and led them to win the UEFA Europa League in 2014.
Later in 2014, Rakitić transferred to Barcelona. In his first season, he helped Barcelona win a "treble." This means they won three major trophies: La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League. He even scored the first goal in the 2015 Champions League final. He was the first player to win the Europa League and then the Champions League in back-to-back years with different clubs.
After playing 310 games and winning ten more trophies with Barcelona, Rakitić returned to Sevilla in 2020. He won the Europa League again with Sevilla in 2023. He then played for Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia and Hajduk Split in Croatia before retiring in July 2025.
Ivan Rakitić was born in Switzerland to Croatian parents. He played for Switzerland's youth teams. However, he chose to play for the Croatia national team as an adult. He played for Croatia in major tournaments like the UEFA Euro (2008, 2012, 2016) and the FIFA World Cup (2014, 2018). He helped Croatia reach the World Cup final in 2018. He retired from international football in September 2020, having played 106 games for his country.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Career
Ivan Rakitić was born in Rheinfelden, Switzerland. His parents were Croats. His father, Luka, was from Sikirevci, Croatia. His mother, Kata, was from Ponijevo, near Žepče. Ivan grew up in Möhlin, Switzerland.
Both his father and older brother, Dejan, were also footballers. Ivan even has a tattoo of his brother's name on his arm. When he was 16, big European clubs like Arsenal noticed his talent. But Ivan and his family decided he should stay at Basel. They felt he would get more playing time in a smaller league.
Club Career
Basel
Rakitić started playing for Basel's first team on 29 September 2005. This was during a UEFA Cup match. He played his first Swiss Super League game in April 2006.
In his second season, he became a regular player. He scored 11 goals in 33 league games. He also played in nine UEFA Cup matches. He was named the best young player of the 2006–07 Swiss Super League season. He also won the Swiss Goal of the Year award for a great goal against St. Gallen.
Schalke 04
After his impressive start, Rakitić joined German club Schalke 04 on 22 June 2007. He cost €5 million. He made his debut for Schalke on 21 July 2007.
On 5 August 2007, he scored his first goal for Schalke in a big 9–0 win. A few days later, he scored his first Bundesliga goal. This was in a 2–2 draw against VfB Stuttgart. He also scored against Bayern Munich on 15 September 2007.
Rakitić played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time on 18 September 2007. He helped Schalke reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. He finished his first Bundesliga season with 3 goals and 10 assists in 29 games.
Sevilla
Joining Sevilla and Early Years
On 28 January 2011, Rakitić signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Spanish club Sevilla. He quickly became a key player for the team. He made his debut on 6 February 2011. He scored his first goal for Sevilla against Hércules. He scored five goals in his first half-season with Sevilla.
During the 2011–12 season, Rakitić continued to play regularly. He often played as a defensive midfielder. He made 39 appearances and provided six assists.
Becoming Captain and Europa League Win
Rakitić started the 2012–13 La Liga season with an assist against Getafe. He scored two goals in a derby match against Real Betis. He finished the season with 12 goals and 10 assists. He created 100 chances for his team, which was one of the best in Europe.
At the start of the 2013–14 La Liga season, Rakitić was named the new Sevilla captain. He was one of the best players in the league. He scored and assisted many goals. He scored two goals against Real Madrid in a 7–3 loss. His great performances earned him the La Liga Player of the Month award in January 2014.
Rakitić led Sevilla to the Europa League Final. They won the final 4–2 on penalties against Benfica. He was named the man of the match. He was also included in the UEFA Europa League Team of the Season. He finished the season with 15 goals and 17 assists.
Barcelona
Treble Success
On 16 June 2014, Barcelona signed Rakitić on a five-year contract. He was given the number 4 shirt. He made his official debut for Barcelona on 24 August. His first goal for Barcelona was a great shot from outside the penalty area.
On 18 March 2015, Rakitić scored his first Champions League goal for Barcelona. This was in a 1–0 win against Manchester City. On 6 June 2015, he scored the opening goal in the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final against Juventus. Barcelona won 3–1. This win helped Barcelona become the first club to win the "treble" twice. Rakitić was again named in the La Liga and Champions League teams of the season.
Continued Success
On 11 August 2015, Rakitić helped Barcelona win the 2015 UEFA Super Cup against his old club Sevilla. In October, he was named Croatian Footballer of the Year 2015. He scored two goals against BATE Borisov in the Champions League. In December, he was named Croatian Sportsman of the Year.
On 23 April 2017, Rakitić scored a goal in a 3–2 win against Real Madrid in El Clásico. On 12 September 2017, he scored against Juventus in the Champions League.
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On 3 December 2018, he scored a fantastic goal against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League. This goal was later named the Goal of the Group Stage by fans. On 2 March 2019, Rakitić scored the only goal in a win against Real Madrid.
Final Season at Barcelona
In the 2019–20 season, Rakitić played less often. On 14 June 2020, he played his 300th game for Barcelona. On 23 June, he scored his first goal of the season against Athletic Bilbao. After Barcelona's Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, the new coach told Rakitić he was not in his plans. He left Barcelona having played more games than any other non-Spanish European player in the club's history.
Return to Sevilla
On 1 September 2020, Rakitić signed a four-year contract to return to Sevilla. He played his first game back on 24 September against Bayern Munich in the 2020 UEFA Super Cup. He scored his first goal since returning on 27 September against Cádiz. On 10 February 2021, he scored against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final.
On 23 August 2021, Rakitić played his 200th match for Sevilla. On 31 May 2023, he won his second UEFA Europa League trophy with Sevilla.
Al-Shabab
On 30 January 2024, Rakitić moved to Saudi Pro League club Al-Shabab.
Hajduk Split and Retirement
On 20 July 2024, Rakitić left Al-Shabab and joined Hajduk Split in Croatia. This was the first time he played club football in his home country. He played 39 games for Hajduk in the 2024–25 season, scoring two goals.
On 1 July 2025, Hajduk's coach announced that Rakitić had officially ended his playing career. He then moved into a new role as assistant sporting director at the club. Rakitić confirmed his retirement on social media on 7 July.
International Career
Rakitić played for Switzerland's youth teams (Under-17, Under-19, and Under-21). However, he chose to play for the Croatia national team as an adult. He made his debut for Croatia on 8 September 2007. This was in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia. In his second game, he scored his first international goal against Andorra.
Euro 2008
In May 2008, Rakitić joined Croatia's squad for the Euro 2008 tournament. He was one of the youngest players there. He played a key role in midfield with Luka Modrić and Niko Kranjčar. Croatia reached the quarter-finals but lost to Turkey in a penalty shootout.
Rakitić continued to play for Croatia in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He scored three goals in ten games. However, Croatia did not qualify for the World Cup finals that year.
Euro 2012
Rakitić played in all of Croatia's Euro 2012 qualifiers. He was part of the squad for the Euro finals in Poland and Ukraine. Croatia was in a tough group with Spain, Italy, and Republic of Ireland. Rakitić started all three group games. Croatia did not make it past the group stage.
2014 World Cup
In the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Rakitić scored a goal from a free-kick against Macedonia. Croatia qualified for the World Cup finals in Brazil. They were in a group with Brazil, Mexico, and Cameroon. Croatia lost to Brazil and Mexico, so they did not move on.
Euro 2016
Rakitić scored one goal in the Euro 2016 qualifiers against Bulgaria. He was selected for the Euro tournament in France. Croatia was in a group with Spain, Czech Republic, and Turkey. Rakitić scored a goal against the Czech Republic in a 2–2 draw.
Croatia won their group after beating Spain. They then faced Portugal in the next round. Croatia lost 1–0 in extra time and was knocked out. Rakitić played in all of Croatia's matches.
2018 World Cup
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On 4 June 2018, Rakitić was named in Croatia's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. On 21 June 2018, he scored Croatia's third goal in a big 3–0 win over Argentina.
Rakitić scored the winning penalty kick in the shootout against Denmark in the round of 16. A week later, he scored another winning penalty kick in the shootout against Russia in the quarter-finals. Croatia reached the final of the tournament, but they lost 4–2 to France.
Retirement from International Football
Rakitić played fewer games for Croatia during the Euro 2020 qualifiers due to injuries.
On 21 September 2020, the Croatian Football Federation announced that Rakitić had retired from international duty. He had played 106 games and scored 15 goals for Croatia. This made him the fourth most-capped player in Croatia's history. He said it was the hardest decision of his career but felt it was the right time. He wished his teammates good luck and said he would be their biggest fan.
Style of Play
Ivan Rakitić was known as a very smart and hard-working midfielder. He had great technique, control, and vision. He could pass the ball well and understand the game. This helped him control the midfield and create chances for his teammates.
He was also good at winning the ball back from opponents. He could score goals from far away and make smart runs into the penalty box. He was a versatile player, meaning he could play in many different midfield positions. He could play as a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder, or even a defensive midfielder. In 2019, famous manager José Mourinho called Rakitić "one of the most underrated players in the world." He praised Rakitić for his defending, running, and skill with the ball.
Personal Life
Rakitić married Raquel Mauri in April 2013 in Seville, Spain. They had been dating for two years. He met her on his first night in Seville in 2011 at a hotel bar. He says he learned Spanish quickly because he kept trying to ask her out! Their first daughter, Althea, was born in July 2013. Their second daughter, Adara, was born in May 2016.
Rakitić can speak many languages. He speaks Croatian, German, Spanish, English, and French.
In 2016, there was an incident at his vacation home on the island of Ugljan. After the incident, Rakitić and his family left the island.
Rakitić was born and grew up in Switzerland, so he has both Swiss and Croatian citizenship. He played for Switzerland's youth teams. When he was 19, he decided to play for Croatia's senior team. Some people in Switzerland were upset by his decision. However, Rakitić said he was proud to play for Switzerland at youth level because he grew up there. He also said he was proud to play for Croatia and that he informed the Swiss coach of his decision before contacting the Croatian coach.
Honours
Basel
- Swiss Cup: 2006–07
Sevilla
- UEFA Europa League: 2013–14, 2022–23
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19
- Copa del Rey: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- Supercopa de España: 2016, 2018
- UEFA Champions League: 2014–15
- UEFA Super Cup: 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2015
Croatia
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2018
Individual
- Swiss Super League Young Player of the Year: 2006–07
- Swiss Super League Goal of the Season: 2006–07
- La Liga Fair Play award: 2013–14
- La Liga Player of the Month: January 2014
- UEFA Europa League Final Man of the Match: 2014
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2013–14, 2014–15
- UEFA La Liga Team of The Season: 2018–19
- UEFA Europa League Team of the Season: 2013–14, 2022–23
- UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2014–15
- Croatian Footballer of the Year: 2015
- Croatian Sportsman of the Year: 2015
- FIFA FIFPro World11 3rd team: 2018
- La Liga Goal of the Month: November 2023
Orders
Order of Duke Branimir: 2018
See also
In Spanish: Ivan Rakitić para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of men's footballers with the most official appearances
