Jan Oblak facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jan Oblak

Oblak warming up for Atlético Madrid in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth	(1993-01-07) 7 January 1993 (age 32)
Place of birth	Škofja Loka, Slovenia
Height	1.88 m
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Atlético Madrid
Number	13
Youth career
1998–2003	Ločan
2003–2005	Olimpija
2005–2009	Olimpija Ljubljana
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2009–2010	Olimpija Ljubljana	34	(0)
2010–2014	Benfica	16	(0)
2010	→ Beira-Mar (loan)	0	(0)
2011	→ Olhanense (loan)	0	(0)
2011–2012	→ União de Leiria (loan)	16	(0)
2012–2013	→ Rio Ave (loan)	28	(0)
2013	Benfica B	2	(0)
2014–	Atlético Madrid	352	(0)
National team‡
2008	Slovenia U15	1	(0)
2009	Slovenia U16	2	(0)
2010–2012	Slovenia U20	4	(0)
2009–2013	Slovenia U21	18	(0)
2012–	Slovenia	74	(0)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 January 2025. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2024

Jan Oblak (born on January 7, 1993) is a professional footballer from Slovenia. He plays as a goalkeeper for the Spanish club Atlético Madrid. He is also the captain of the Slovenia national team. Many people think he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Oblak joined the Portuguese club Benfica when he was 17. He was part of the team that won three major trophies in the 2013–14 season. In 2014, he moved to Atlético Madrid for about €16 million. This made him the most expensive goalkeeper in Spain's top league, La Liga, at that time.

In the 2015–16 season, he won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy. This award is given to the best goalkeeper in La Liga. He let in a record low of only 18 goals that season. He won this award three more times in a row and a fifth time in 2021. Oblak was also nominated for the Ballon d'Or awards in 2017 and 2018. This was because he played so well for his club.

Jan Oblak has played over 450 games for Atlético Madrid. He has helped the club win four trophies, including the La Liga title in the 2020–21 season.

He first played for Slovenia's senior national team in 2012. He has been named Slovenian Footballer of the Year eight times. He also played for Slovenia's youth teams, from under-15 to under-21. He played for Slovenia at UEFA Euro 2024.

Club Career

Early Years and Olimpija

Jan Oblak was born in Škofja Loka, a town in Slovenia. He started playing football at age five for his local club, Ločan. When he was ten, he joined the youth academy of Olimpija. He stayed there until the club closed down in 2005.

He then moved to a new club, which later became Olimpija Ljubljana in 2008. In 2009, Oblak turned down a contract from an Italian club. He chose to stay with Olimpija Ljubljana. On May 17, 2009, at just 16 years old, Oblak played his first professional game for Olimpija Ljubljana. His team won 7–2 against Mura 05.

Olimpija Ljubljana won their league and moved up to the top Slovenian league, PrvaLiga, for the 2009–10 season. In the next season, Oblak became the main goalkeeper for the team. He only missed three league games. His club finished fourth in the league.

Time at Benfica

On June 14, 2010, Oblak signed a contract with the Portuguese club Benfica. Benfica then loaned him out to other Portuguese clubs. He played for Beira-Mar in August 2010. Then, he joined Olhanense in January 2011.

Benfica loaned Oblak again to União de Leiria for the 2011–12 season. He played his first league game for them on January 15, 2012. It was a 2–2 draw against Nacional. In April 2012, many players left Leiria because of money problems. Oblak was one of only eight players who played in a league match against Feirense.

In July 2013, Oblak did not show up for pre-season training. He said he did not have a contract with Benfica. But later that month, he signed a new contract until 2018. He called the situation a "misunderstanding."

During the 2013–14 season, Benfica's main goalkeeper, Artur, made some mistakes. The manager, Jorge Jesus, then chose Oblak to play instead. Oblak played very well and kept many clean sheets (meaning he didn't let any goals in). He did this in a 2–0 win against Porto and a 0–0 draw against Juventus in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals. He was later named the league's Best Goalkeeper for that season.

Atlético Madrid

Oblak (in black) before a match with Atlético Madrid in 2015

On July 16, 2014, Atlético Madrid announced they would sign Oblak from Benfica. Atlético paid €16 million for him. This made him the most expensive goalkeeper in La Liga history. Oblak signed a six-year deal in Madrid. He came to replace Thibaut Courtois, who had returned to Chelsea. When he was introduced, Oblak said he was there to help the team.

First Zamora Trophy and Champions League Final

Oblak did not play in his first game for Atlético on August 19, 2014. This was the first leg of the 2014 Supercopa de España against Real Madrid. He made his debut on September 16, 2014. It was a 3–2 loss away to Olympiacos in the Champions League.

His first clean sheet came in a Copa del Rey match. Atlético won 3–0 away to L'Hospitalet on December 3, 2014. On March 17, 2015, he came on as a substitute in a Champions League game. He replaced an injured teammate and kept a clean sheet in a 1–0 win. The game went to a penalty shoot-out. Oblak saved the first penalty, and Atlético won. Four days later, he played his first league game. He kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 home win against Getafe.

In February 2016, Oblak signed a new contract until 2021. On May 3, 2016, Oblak saved a penalty in the Champions League semi-finals. Even though Atlético lost that game 2–1, they reached the final. In the final, Atlético lost to Real Madrid on penalties. Oblak could not save any of the five shots. Despite this, he was chosen for the Champions League team of the season. He also won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy for best goalkeeper in La Liga. He let in only 18 goals in 38 games. This equaled a record set 22 years earlier.

Europa League Title and More Zamora Awards

On March 15, 2017, Oblak made three amazing saves in a row. This was in a Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen. His saves helped Atlético get a 0–0 draw and move to the next round. He was again chosen for the Champions League team of the season. He also won his second straight Ricardo Zamora Trophy. He was even nominated for the 2017 Ballon d'Or.

On January 28, 2018, Oblak played his 100th league game for Atlético. In these 100 games, he kept 59 clean sheets. He only let in 54 goals. In the 2018 UEFA Europa League Final, Oblak kept a clean sheet. His team won 3–0 against Olympique de Marseille. This was Atlético's third Europa League title. It was Oblak's first European trophy.

Because of his great performances, he was included in the Europa League team of the season. He also won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy for the third time in a row. He let in only 22 goals in 37 games. He also won the La Liga Best Goalkeeper award for the third time. He was the first goalkeeper to win this award three times. He was nominated for the 2018 Ballon d'Or again.

On November 6, 2018, Oblak kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 win over Borussia Dortmund. This was in the Champions League. With this, he reached 100 clean sheets for Atlético in 178 official games. On April 17, 2019, Oblak signed a new contract until 2023.

At the end of the season, Oblak won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy for the fourth time in a row. This equaled a record for most consecutive Zamora Trophies. He also won the La Liga Best Goalkeeper award for the fourth time.

Clean Sheets Record and First La Liga Title

Before the 2019–20 season, Oblak was named vice-captain of the team. On October 21, 2019, Oblak was nominated for the first Yashin Trophy. This award is for the best goalkeepers. He finished in fourth place. On December 6, 2019, Oblak kept a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw against Villarreal. He broke the club record for most clean sheets. He had 96 clean sheets in 169 league games.

On March 11, 2020, Atlético Madrid won 3–2 against Liverpool in the Champions League. Oblak played his 50th Champions League game. He was named Man of the Match because he made nine saves. This helped his team move to the next round. On June 17, 2020, Oblak kept a clean sheet in a 5–0 win against Osasuna. This was his 182nd league game. He became the fastest goalkeeper to reach 100 clean sheets in La Liga history. He broke a record that was almost 50 years old. Oblak also became the first non-Spanish goalkeeper to keep 100 clean sheets in La Liga. On June 27, 2020, Oblak played his 250th game for Atlético.

In the 2020–21 season, Oblak helped Atlético Madrid win the La Liga title. He kept 18 clean sheets in 38 matches. He also saved 80% of the shots he faced. He won the Zamora Trophy for the fifth time. This equaled the record of two other famous goalkeepers. He was also named La Liga Player of the Season for the first time.

Appearance Records and Contract Extension

On August 15, 2021, Oblak played his 304th game for Atlético Madrid. He became the goalkeeper with the most appearances for the club. In July 2022, it was reported that Oblak had signed a new contract with Atlético Madrid until 2028.

On May 9, 2023, Oblak played his 390th game for Atlético. This made him the club's most-capped foreign player. He broke the record held by Diego Godín. On September 24, he played his 300th La Liga match. He became the seventh Atlético Madrid player to reach this number. He was also the fifth foreign goalkeeper to do so.

On March 13, 2024, Oblak saved two penalties in a penalty shoot-out. This was in a Champions League game against Inter Milan. He became the first goalkeeper in Champions League history to win three penalty shoot-outs with one club.

International Career

Oblak captaining Slovenia in 2021

Oblak was first called to play for the Slovenia under-21 team in August 2009. He made his debut against France on September 9, 2009.

On September 11, 2012, Oblak played his first game for the senior national team. He started in a 2–1 loss against Norway. He became the main goalkeeper for the national team after Samir Handanović retired in 2015. He took a short break from international games in 2018 due to an arm injury.

On September 6, 2019, Oblak was the captain of Slovenia for the first time.

How He Plays

Many experts say Oblak is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He is tall, strong, and very athletic. He is known for his speed, quick reactions, and how well he understands the game. He is especially good at catching crosses and coming out to get the ball. This helps him control his area well. People also praise his hard work, great positioning, and ability to stop shots. He is calm in goal and helps his team's defense feel confident.

Personal Life

Jan Oblak's father is Matjaž Oblak, and his mother is Stojanka Majkić. His older sister, Teja Oblak (born in 1990), is a professional basketball player. She plays for the Slovenia national team.

Since 2023, Oblak has been in a relationship with Serbian tennis player Olga Danilović.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Honours

Olimpija Ljubljana

• Slovenian Second League: 2008–09

Benfica

• Primeira Liga: 2013–14
• Taça de Portugal: 2013–14
• Taça da Liga: 2013–14

Atlético Madrid

• La Liga: 2020–21
• Supercopa de España: 2014; runner-up: 2019–20
• UEFA Europa League: 2017–18
• UEFA Super Cup: 2018
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2015–16

Individual

• Primeira Liga Best Goalkeeper: 2013–14
• La Liga Zamora Trophy: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21
• La Liga Team of the Season: 2015–16
• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2019–20
• La Liga Best Goalkeeper: 2015–16
• UEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
• UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2017–18
• Slovenian Footballer of the Year: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024
• Slovenian Youth Footballer of the Year: 2012, 2013
• La Liga Player of the Month: May 2021
• La Liga Save of the Month: October 2024
• La Liga Player of the Season: 2020–21
• ESM Team of the Year: 2020–21

Images for kids

• 

  Oblak warming up for Atlético Madrid in 2019

• 

  Oblak (in black) before a match with Atlético Madrid in 2015

• 

  Oblak captaining Slovenia in 2021

See also

In Spanish: Jan Oblak para niños