kids encyclopedia robot

Josip Brekalo facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Josip Brekalo
Josip brekalo.jpg
Brekalo training with VfB Stuttgart in 2017
Personal information
Date of birth (1998-06-23) 23 June 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Zagreb, Croatia
Height 1.75 m
Playing position Left winger
Club information
Current club Kasımpaşa
(on loan from Fiorentina)
Number 9
Youth career
2006–2015 Dinamo Zagreb
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2015–2016 Dinamo Zagreb II 9 (0)
2015–2016 Dinamo Zagreb 8 (0)
2016 VfL Wolfsburg II 2 (0)
2016–2023 VfL Wolfsburg 108 (16)
2017–2018 → VfB Stuttgart (loan) 25 (2)
2021–2022 → Torino (loan) 32 (7)
2023– Fiorentina 17 (1)
2024 → Hajduk Split (loan) 14 (2)
2024– → Kasımpaşa (loan) 9 (2)
National team‡
2012 Croatia U14 2 (0)
2013 Croatia U15 2 (0)
2013–2014 Croatia U16 8 (2)
2013–2015 Croatia U17 25 (9)
2015 Croatia U18 6 (3)
2015–2017 Croatia U19 17 (6)
2016–2019 Croatia U21 17 (9)
2018–2024 Croatia 35 (4)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:19, 13 December 2024 (UTC)..

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20:43, 15 October 2023 (UTC)

Josip Brekalo is a professional football player from Croatia. He was born on June 23, 1998. He plays as a winger, which means he plays on the sides of the field, helping both attack and defense. Currently, he plays for the Turkish club Kasımpaşa.

Club Career

Early Years and Dinamo Zagreb

Josip Brekalo started his football journey in the youth system of Dinamo Zagreb, a famous club in Croatia. He made his first professional league appearance for Dinamo Zagreb on December 19, 2015.

Moving to Germany

In May 2016, Brekalo moved to Germany to join Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg. This was a big step in his career.

Loan Spells and Key Goals

  • In January 2017, he was loaned to VfB Stuttgart. He scored his first senior goal for Stuttgart on February 17, 2017.
  • He returned to Wolfsburg in January 2018.
  • On May 8, 2021, he scored three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Union Berlin. This was a special moment for him.
  • In August 2021, Brekalo went on loan to Torino in Italy.
  • He later signed with Fiorentina in Italy in January 2023.
  • In January 2024, he moved on loan to Hajduk Split back in Croatia.
  • In September 2024, Brekalo joined Kasımpaşa in Turkey on loan.

International Career

Playing for Croatia

Josip Brekalo has played for various Croatian youth teams since 2012. He made his debut for the senior national team on November 15, 2018. This was in a Nations League match against Spain.

First National Team Goal

On September 8, 2020, he scored his first goal for the national team. It was during a Nations League game against France.

Major Tournaments

  • In June 2021, Brekalo was chosen to be part of Croatia's team for the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.
  • He was also in the first group of players considered for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but he did not make it into the final team.

How He Plays

Josip Brekalo usually plays as a winger, either on the left or right side of the field. Wingers are important because they help with both attacking and defending. Sometimes, he has played in different positions for the national team. For example, he has played as a right back or even as a "false 9" striker, which is a forward who drops deeper to help create plays.

Personal Life

Family Background

Josip's father, Ante, was also a footballer. His father's career was interrupted when he was young due to a war.

Family Life

On June 2, 2021, Josip and his partner, Dominika Kralj, welcomed their daughter, Nika. They got married in Zagreb on July 17 of the same year.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Dinamo Zagreb II 2015–16 Druga HNL 9 0 — — — 9 0
Dinamo Zagreb 2015–16 Prva HNL 8 0 3 1 — — 11 1
VfL Wolfsburg II 2016–17 Regionalliga Nord 2 0 — — — 2 0
VfL Wolfsburg 2016–17 Bundesliga 4 0 0 0 — — 4 0
2017–18 Bundesliga 15 4 0 0 — — 15 4
2018–19 Bundesliga 25 3 2 0 — — 27 3
2019–20 Bundesliga 30 3 2 1 8 3 — 40 7
2020–21 Bundesliga 29 7 2 0 2 0 — 33 7
2021–22 Bundesliga 1 0 1 1 0 0 — 2 1
2022–23 Bundesliga 6 0 1 0 — — 7 0
Total 110 17 8 2 10 3 — 128 22
VfB Stuttgart (loan) 2016–17 2. Bundesliga 11 1 0 0 — — 11 1
2017–18 Bundesliga 14 1 3 1 — — 17 2
Total 25 2 3 1 — — 28 3
Torino (loan) 2021–22 Serie A 32 7 1 0 — — 33 7
Fiorentina 2022–23 Serie A 6 0 1 0 4 0 — 11 0
2023–24 Serie A 11 1 1 0 5 0 1 0 18 1
Total 17 1 2 0 9 0 1 0 29 1
Hajduk Split (loan) 2023–24 Prva HNL 14 2 2 0 — — 16 2
Career total 217 29 19 4 19 3 1 0 256 36

International Appearances and Goals

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Croatia 2018 2 0
2019 9 0
2020 8 3
2021 11 1
2022 3 0
2023 2 0
Total 35 4
Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first. Score column indicates score after each Brekalo goal.
List of international goals scored by Josip Brekalo
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 8 September 2020 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France 13  France 2–2 2–4 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
2 7 October 2020 Kybunpark, St. Gallen, Switzerland 14  Switzerland 1–1 2–1 Friendly
3 11 November 2020 Vodafone Park, Istanbul, Turkey 17  Turkey 3–2 3–3
4 30 March 2021 Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia 22  Malta 3–0 3–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours and Awards

Club Achievements

Individual Awards

  • UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2015 (He was chosen as one of the best players in this youth tournament)

See also

A robot friend for kids! In Spanish: Josip Brekalo para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Josip Brekalo Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.