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Mario Mandžukić

Mandžukić playing for Croatia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final

Personal information

Date of birth

21 May 1986 (age 39)

Place of birth

Slavonski Brod, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia

Height

1.90 m

Playing position

Striker

Youth career

1992–1996

TSF Ditzingen

1996–2003

Marsonia

2003–2004

Željezničar Slavonski Brod

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

2004–2005

Marsonia

(14)

2005–2007

NK Zagreb

(14)

2007–2010

Dinamo Zagreb

(41)

2010–2012

VfL Wolfsburg

(20)

2012–2014

Bayern Munich

(33)

2014–2015

Atlético Madrid

(12)

2015–2019

Juventus

118

(31)

2019–2020

Al-Duhail

(0)

2021

AC Milan

(0)

Total

426

(166)

National team

2004–2005

Croatia U19

(3)

2007

Croatia U20

(1)

2006–2008

Croatia U21

(1)

2007–2018

Croatia

(33)

Teams managed

2021–2024

Croatia (assistant coach)

Honours


Men's football
Representing Croatia
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up	2018 Russia
Representing Croatia (as assistant coach)
FIFA World Cup
Third	2022 Qatar

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Mario Mandžukić (born on May 21, 1986) is a Croatian football coach and former player. He was known for being a strong forward who worked hard, helped defend, and was great at heading the ball. He recently worked as an assistant coach for the Croatian national team.

Mario started his football journey in 2004 with his hometown club, Marsonia. He then moved to NK Zagreb in 2005 and Dinamo Zagreb in 2007. He was the top scorer in the Croatian First League in the 2008–09 season. In 2010, he joined VfL Wolfsburg in Germany.

In 2012, Mario moved to Bayern Munich. He helped them win a historic "treble" in his first season, which means they won three major titles: the Bundesliga, the German Cup (DFB-Pokal), and the UEFA Champions League. He was also the first Croatian player to score in a Champions League final. After winning more titles with Bayern, he played for Atlético Madrid in Spain in 2014. A year later, he joined Juventus in Italy.

With Juventus, Mario won four league titles and three Italian Cups. He also reached another Champions League final in 2017. He left Juventus in 2019 to play for Al-Duhail in Qatar and then returned to Italy in 2021 to play for AC Milan. He officially retired from playing football in September 2021.

For his country, Mario first played for Croatia in 2007. He played in four big tournaments: Euro 2012, the 2014 World Cup, Euro 2016, and the 2018 World Cup. In the 2018 World Cup, he helped Croatia reach the final. After the tournament, he retired from international football. With 33 goals, he is the second-highest scorer for the Croatian national team. He was named Croatian Footballer of the Year in 2012 and 2013. Mario is also one of the few players to score in both a Champions League final and a World Cup final.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out in Football

Mario Mandžukić began playing football in Germany. His family moved there because of the Croatian War of Independence. In 1992, he joined a German club called TSF Ditzingen. When he returned to his home country, Croatia, he played for NK Marsonia from 1996 to 2003. After a season with NK Željezničar, he went back to Marsonia. In 2005, he joined NK Zagreb.

Playing for Dinamo Zagreb

Mandžukić playing for Dinamo Zagreb in July 2008

In 2007, Dinamo Zagreb, a big Croatian club, bought Mandžukić for €1.3 million. He quickly became a key player, often playing as a second striker. On October 4, 2007, he scored two goals in extra time against AFC Ajax in Amsterdam. This helped Dinamo win 3–2 and qualify for the 2007–08 UEFA Cup group stage. In his first season, he scored 12 goals and made 11 assists in 29 matches.

In the 2008–09 season, Mandžukić was the top scorer in the Croatian league with 16 goals in 28 games. He also scored three goals in the UEFA Cup. This was also when he started playing more for the Croatian national team. After this season, a German club, Werder Bremen, offered €12 million for him, but Dinamo wanted at least €15 million.

Time with Wolfsburg

On July 14, 2010, Mandžukić joined VfL Wolfsburg in Germany for about €7 million. At first, he often came on as a substitute. He played mostly as a left winger under coach Steve McClaren. Things changed when their main striker, Edin Džeko, left in January 2011.

Mario scored his first Bundesliga goal for Wolfsburg in March 2011. When Felix Magath became coach, Mandžukić played in his natural position as a striker. In the last seven games of that season, he scored eight goals. Two of these goals in the final match helped the club avoid being relegated. In his second season, he became a regular starter and was the club's top scorer with 12 goals. He scored 20 goals in 56 games for Wolfsburg. Fans loved him for his goals and strong effort.

Success at Bayern Munich

On June 26, 2012, Mandžukić signed with German club Bayern Munich for €13 million. This move happened after he played very well at UEFA Euro 2012.

Winning the Treble (2012–13)

Mandžukić playing for Bayern Munich in August 2012

Mario made his debut for Bayern on July 24, 2012, in a friendly match. He scored his first official goal for Bayern on August 12, helping them win the German Supercup against Borussia Dortmund. He scored his first league goal on the first matchday against SpVgg Greuther Fürth. He then scored twice against his old club, Wolfsburg.

Mandžukić continued scoring, reaching nine goals in 11 league matches. After the winter break, he scored three more goals in the first two games. He finished his first Bundesliga season as Bayern's top scorer with 15 goals in 24 matches. He played a big part in Bayern winning the Bundesliga title.

He scored his first Champions League goal against Arsenal. He scored again in the quarter-final against Juventus. On May 25, Bayern played Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final. Mandžukić scored the first goal, giving Bayern a 1–0 lead. Bayern won the match 2–1. With this goal, Mario became the first Croatian to score in a Champions League final. Bayern had an amazing season, winning the Bundesliga, Champions League, and German Cup.

Another Strong Season (2013–14)

Mandžukić started the 2013–14 season slowly, getting used to new coach Pep Guardiola's system. Guardiola changed Bayern's formation. Mario soon found his form, scoring two goals in his first two league games. He scored his first Champions League goal of the season against CSKA Moscow. He also scored the only goal in a win against FC Viktoria Plzeň, helping Bayern reach the knockout stages.

He scored his tenth Bundesliga goal of the season in December against Hamburger SV. In the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup semi-final, Mandžukić scored a header against Guangzhou Evergrande. Bayern won the tournament after beating Raja Casablanca in the final.

Mario scored his first hat-trick of the season on February 12, helping Bayern win 5–0 against Hamburger SV in the German Cup semi-final. Despite being the club's top scorer with 26 goals, Guardiola left him out of the 2014 DFB-Pokal Final. Mandžukić later said he wanted to leave Bayern because Guardiola's playing style "simply does not fit" him.

Moving to Atlético Madrid

Mandžukić with Atlético Madrid in October 2014

On July 10, 2014, Mandžukić signed a four-year deal with Spanish club Atlético Madrid. He was given the number 9 shirt. He played his first game on August 19 in the 2014 Supercopa de España against Real Madrid. In the second game, he scored his first goal for the club, which was the winning goal after just two minutes. This was the fastest goal in the competition's history.

He scored his first league goal against SD Eibar on August 30. In the Champions League, he scored against Olympiacos. On October 26, he scored the only goal in a win over Getafe, helping Atlético get closer to the league leaders.

After recovering from an injury, he scored 14 goals before the winter break. This included a hat-trick against Olympiacos in the Champions League, which secured Atlético's spot in the knockout stage. In February, he scored his 11th La Liga goal in a big 4–0 win over local rivals Real Madrid. Experts praised his performance in that game. In his only season in Madrid, Mandžukić scored 20 goals in 43 games.

Joining Juventus

On June 22, 2015, Serie A champions Juventus announced that Mandžukić had joined them from Atlético Madrid. He signed a four-year contract for €19 million.

First Season in Italy (2015–16)

On August 8, Mario scored the first goal for Juventus in the 2015 Supercoppa Italiana against Lazio, which they won 2–0. He made his league debut on August 23 in a 1–0 loss to Udinese.

He got injured in September but returned early. He scored Juventus's first goal in a 2–1 away win against Manchester City in the Champions League group stage. On October 25, he scored his first Serie A goal against Atalanta. He scored again two games later against Empoli. On November 25, he scored the winning goal against Manchester City in the Champions League, helping Juventus reach the next round. Because of these important goals, he was voted Juventus Player of the Month for November 2015.

Playing as a Winger (2016–17)

Mandžukić with Juventus at the end of victorious 2017 Coppa Italia Final

Mario's second season with Juventus was special. Coach Massimiliano Allegri often played him out of his usual striker position, mostly as a left winger. Even though he scored fewer goals, he was praised for his hard work, flexibility, and strong performances in this new role. On May 25, 2017, Mandžukić signed a contract extension until 2020.

On June 3, he started in the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final against Real Madrid. He scored an amazing equalizing goal in the 27th minute. He chested down the ball and kicked it over his shoulder from about 15 yards, sending it over the goalkeeper. This goal was called one of the best ever in a Champions League final. However, Juventus lost the match 4–1. Mandžukić's goal later won the UEFA Goal of the Season award for 2016–17.

Later Seasons with Juventus

On October 31, 2017, Mandžukić played his 100th game for Juventus in a Champions League match against Sporting. On April 11, 2018, he scored two goals in a 3–1 away win against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals. His first goal was scored after only 76 seconds, making it the fastest goal Real Madrid had ever conceded at home in the Champions League.

On August 25, 2018, he scored his first goal of the 2018–19 season against Lazio. On October 6, he played his 100th Serie A game for the club. He also helped set up a goal for Cristiano Ronaldo. On November 24, Mandžukić was captain for the first time in a 2–0 win over SPAL, scoring his sixth goal of the season. Three days later, he scored his first Champions League goal of the season against Valencia, assisted by Cristiano Ronaldo. Newspapers noted how well Mandžukić and Ronaldo played together. On April 4, 2019, Mandžukić extended his contract with Juventus until 2021.

Short Stays in Qatar and Milan

When new Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri arrived in 2019, Mandžukić was not part of his plans. He didn't play any games for the club during the 2019–20 season. On December 24, he agreed to join Qatari club Al-Duhail. The transfer was made official on December 29.

He played his first league game on January 4, 2020. He scored his first goal for Al-Duhail on January 10 in the Qatar Cup. On February 11, 2020, he scored his first goal in the AFC Champions League. On July 5, 2020, after playing 10 games and scoring two goals, Mandžukić left Al-Duhail.

On January 19, 2021, Mandžukić joined Serie A club AC Milan until the end of the season. He made his league debut on January 23. Due to injuries, he only played 11 games for Milan and didn't score any goals. On May 24, 2021, Mandžukić announced he was leaving Milan.

On September 3, 2021, Mario Mandžukić announced his retirement from football.

International Career

After playing well for Dinamo Zagreb, Mandžukić was called up to the Croatian national team. He played his first game for Croatia on November 17, 2007, against Macedonia. On September 10, 2008, he scored his first goal for Croatia in a 4–1 loss to England in a World Cup qualifying match.

UEFA Euro 2012

Mandžukić became more important to the national team during the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying. He scored an equalizing goal against Georgia in June 2011. He also scored a header against Latvia in the last qualifying match. Croatia then played Turkey in the play-offs. In the first match, Croatia won 3–0, with Mandžukić scoring the second goal with a header.

At UEFA Euro 2012, Mandžukić was one of Croatia's main strikers. He scored twice in Croatia's 3–1 win against the Republic of Ireland. He also scored in a 1–1 draw against Italy. Even though Croatia didn't get past the group stage, he was one of the top scorers of the tournament with three goals.

2014 FIFA World Cup

He started the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification by assisting two goals. He scored his first goal of the campaign against Wales. Mandžukić also scored against Serbia in Zagreb, giving Croatia a 1–0 lead. He scored again in the second match against Serbia. In the play-off match against Iceland, Mandžukić scored the first goal in a 2–0 win. However, he received a red card for a high tackle.

Mandžukić was part of Croatia's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He was suspended for the first match against the host nation, Brazil. He returned for the second match against Cameroon on June 18. He scored twice in a 4–0 win and was named "Man of the Match."

UEFA Euro 2016

Mandžukić scored one goal in Croatia's successful UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, in a 1–1 draw with Italy. On June 4, 2016, he scored a hat-trick in a 10–0 friendly win against San Marino. This was a record victory for Croatia.

2018 FIFA World Cup

Mandžukić after scoring in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final against France

On October 6, 2016, Mandžukić scored a hat-trick in a 6–0 win over Kosovo in a World Cup qualifier.

On June 4, 2018, Mandžukić was named to Croatia's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In the first game against Nigeria, he caused an own goal and won a penalty, helping Croatia win 2–0. In the round-of-16 match against Denmark on July 1, he scored the equalizing goal. After a 1–1 draw, Croatia won 3–2 in a penalty shootout. In the quarter-finals against hosts Russia, Mandžukić assisted a goal. After a 2–2 draw, Croatia won 4–3 on penalties.

During Croatia's semi-final match against England on July 11, Mandžukić scored the winning goal in extra time, giving Croatia a 2–1 victory. This sent the team to the World Cup final for the first time ever. In the final against France on July 15, he became the first player to score an own goal in a World Cup final, giving France a 1–0 lead. However, he later scored Croatia's second goal after a mistake by the French goalkeeper. France won the match 4–2. With that goal, Mario Mandžukić became the second player in World Cup history to score for both teams in a single match and the first to do so in a final.

Retirement from International Football

On August 14, 2018, Mandžukić announced his retirement from international football. At that time, he was the second-highest goalscorer in the history of the Croatia national team with 33 goals.

In his statement, Mandžukić wrote about the 2018 World Cup silver medal:

We have made our dreams come true, achieved a historic success, and experienced unbelievable support. That month, including the welcome in Zagreb, Slavonski Brod, and the entire Croatia, will remain the most important memory of my career. This has been the most beautiful national team journey, and my favourite return to homeland. I am more than happy, fulfilled, and extremely proud of this silver, that has been forged through years, through pain, effort, work, disappointment, and difficult moments. There is no ideal moment to retire. If possible, we would all play for Croatia until we die, since there is no prouder feeling, but I feel this moment has come for me – now. I've given my best for Croatia, I have contributed to the biggest success of Croatian football.

Playing Style

Mario Mandžukić was known for his strength, flexibility, and endless energy on the field. He was also excellent at heading the ball. People gave him nicknames like Mandžo and Super Mario. His former coach, Felix Magath, said he was "so fit that I think he could play two back-to-back games without stopping."

Mandžukić playing for Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

When he moved to Atlético Madrid, experts noted that he was perfect for coach Diego Simeone's style. Mandžukić often started the team's high-pressure defense, running energetically to push opponents back. He was a strong and mobile striker who did a lot of work without the ball. He seemed to do the work of two players, which helped his teammates. He was also very disciplined in dropping back to defend.

While he usually played as a striker, Mandžukić's hard work and smart play meant he could play in many different positions. He played as a winger, a second striker, or even an attacking midfielder. This allowed him to attack from deeper or wider areas, support his teammates, and help win the ball back. At Juventus, he often played on the left side. He was praised for his ability to hold the ball and create chances for others.

Besides his skills, Mandžukić was known for his determination and mental strength. He was a "big-game player" because he often scored important goals in big matches. Juventus fans called him "guerriero" (warrior) because of his fighting spirit.

Personal Life

Mario Mandžukić was born in Slavonski Brod, Croatia, on May 21, 1986. His father, Mato, was also a football player.

Mario has been in a relationship with Ivana Mikulić since 2007.

On April 16, 2021, the chairman of AC Milan, Paolo Scaroni, announced that Mandžukić had donated his March salary to Fondazione Milan. This is a charity set up by the club to help young players and develop football facilities. Mario was injured for the entire month of March. He later donated his April and May wages as well due to his injuries.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Marsonia	2004–05	Druga HNL	23	14	—		—		—		23	14
NK Zagreb	2005–06	Prva HNL	28	3	—		—		—		28	3
	2006–07	Prva HNL	23	11	4	3	—		—		27	14
	2007–08	Prva HNL	—		—		2	0	—		2	0
	Total		51	14	4	3	2	0	—		57	17
Dinamo Zagreb	2007–08	Prva HNL	29	12	8	5	10	3	—		47	20
	2008–09	Prva HNL	28	16	5	5	10	3	—		43	24
	2009–10	Prva HNL	24	14	3	0	10	3	—		37	17
	2010–11	Prva HNL	—		—		1	2	—		1	2
	Total		81	42	16	10	31	11	—		128	63
VfL Wolfsburg	2010–11	Bundesliga	24	8	3	0	—		—		27	8
	2011–12	Bundesliga	32	12	1	0	—		—		33	12
	Total		56	20	4	0	—		—		60	20
Bayern Munich	2012–13	Bundesliga	24	15	5	3	10	3	1	1	40	22
	2013–14	Bundesliga	30	18	4	4	10	3	4	1	48	26
	Total		54	33	9	7	20	6	5	2	88	48
Atlético Madrid	2014–15	La Liga	28	12	3	2	10	5	2	1	43	20
Juventus	2015–16	Serie A	27	10	3	0	5	2	1	1	36	13
	2016–17	Serie A	34	7	4	1	11	3	1	0	50	11
	2017–18	Serie A	32	5	4	1	6	4	1	0	43	10
	2018–19	Serie A	25	9	0	0	8	1	0	0	33	10
	Total		118	31	11	2	30	10	3	1	162	44
Al-Duhail	2019–20	Qatar Stars League	5	0	1	0	2	1	2	1	10	2
AC Milan	2020–21	Serie A	10	0	0	0	1	0	—		11	0
Career total			426	166	48	24	96	33	12	5	582	228

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Croatia	2007	1	0
	2008	3	1
	2009	6	0
	2010	8	1
	2011	8	3
	2012	11	4
	2013	10	4
	2014	10	4
	2015	6	3
	2016	11	9
	2017	7	1
	2018	8	3
Total		89	33

Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first

List of international goals scored by Mario Mandžukić
No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	10 September 2008	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	2	England	1–3	1–4	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	12 October 2010	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	17	Norway	1–1	2–1	Friendly
3	3 June 2011	Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia	19	Georgia	1–1	2–1	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
4	11 October 2011	Stadion Kantrida, Rijeka, Croatia	24	Latvia	2–0	2–0
5	11 November 2011	Türk Telekom Arena, Istanbul, Turkey	25	Turkey	2–0	3–0
6	10 June 2012	Municipal Stadium, Poznań, Poland	30	Republic of Ireland	1–0	3–1	UEFA Euro 2012
7	10 June 2012		30	Republic of Ireland	3–1	3–1
8	14 June 2012		31	Italy	1–1	1–1
9	16 October 2012	Stadion Gradski vrt, Osijek, Croatia	37	Wales	1–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
10	6 February 2013	Craven Cottage, London, England	38	South Korea	1–0	4–0	Friendly
11	22 March 2013	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	39	Serbia	1–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
12	6 September 2013	Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia	43	Serbia	1–0	1–1
13	19 November 2013	Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia	47	Iceland	1–0	2–0
14	18 June 2014	Arena da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil	51	Cameroon	3–0	4–0	2014 FIFA World Cup
15	18 June 2014	Arena da Amazônia, Manaus, Brazil	51	Cameroon	4–0	4–0	2014 FIFA World Cup
16	4 September 2014	Stadion Aldo Drosina, Pula, Croatia	53	Cyprus	1–0	2–0	Friendly
17	4 September 2014	Stadion Aldo Drosina, Pula, Croatia	53	Cyprus	2–0	2–0
18	7 June 2015	Stadion Varteks, Varaždin, Croatia	59	Gibraltar	3–0	4–0
19	12 June 2015	Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia	60	Italy	1–0	1–1	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
20	17 November 2015	Olimp-2, Rostov-on-Don, Russia	63	Russia	3–1	3–1	Friendly
21	26 March 2016	Groupama Arena, Budapest, Hungary	65	Hungary	1–0	1–1
22	4 June 2016	Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia	66	San Marino	2–0	10–0
23					4–0
24					5–0
25	6 October 2016	Loro Boriçi Stadium, Shkodër, Albania	71	Kosovo	1–0	6–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
26					2–0
27					3–0
28	9 October 2016	Tampere Stadium, Tampere, Finland	72	Finland	1–0	1–0
29	15 November 2016	Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland	74	Northern Ireland	1–0	3–0	Friendly
30	6 October 2017	Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia	79	Finland	1–0	1–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
31	1 July 2018	Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia	86	Denmark	1–1	1–1	2018 FIFA World Cup
32	11 July 2018	Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia	88	England	2–1	2–1
33	15 July 2018	Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia	89	France	2–4	2–4