Marko Pjaca facts for kids
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Pjaca playing for Croatia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marko Pjaca | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 6 May 1995 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Zagreb, Croatia | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Winger | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2009 | Dinamo Zagreb | |||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | ZET | |||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Lokomotiva Zagreb | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Lokomotiva Zagreb | 49 | (9) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Dinamo Zagreb | 61 | (19) | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2023 | Juventus | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | → Schalke 04 (loan) | 7 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | → Fiorentina (loan) | 19 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2020 | → Anderlecht (loan) | 4 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | → Genoa (loan) | 35 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | → Torino (loan) | 24 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | → Empoli (loan) | 17 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Rijeka | 27 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Dinamo Zagreb | 34 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Croatia U17 | 8 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2012 | Croatia U18 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2012 | Croatia U19 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Croatia U20 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2017 | Croatia U21 | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2014– | Croatia | 28 | (1) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2024 |
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Marko Pjaca (born on May 6, 1995) is a professional footballer from Croatia. He plays as a left winger for the Croatian national team.
Marko started his professional club career in Croatia with Lokomotiva Zagreb in 2012. He then moved to Dinamo Zagreb in 2014. With Dinamo, he won both the league and cup titles two years in a row. In 2016, he joined Juventus in Italy and won the league and cup in his first season there. However, injuries made it hard for him to play regularly. Because of this, Marko was loaned out to six different clubs: Schalke 04, Fiorentina, Anderlecht, Genoa, Torino, and Empoli.
Marko has also played for the Croatian national team. He represented Croatia at the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. At the 2018 World Cup, Croatia reached the final, and Marko even played in that big match!
Contents
Marko's Early Life
Marko Pjaca comes from a family of athletes. His father, Željko, was a wrestler, and his mother, Višnja, was a judoka. He has two older sisters named Martina and Iva. When he was a child, Marko tried out many sports, including handball, basketball, and table tennis, before focusing on football.
Marko's Club Career
Starting at Lokomotiva
Marko began his professional football journey with Lokomotiva Zagreb in Croatia. He played his first game in Croatia's top league on February 24, 2012. In that game, Lokomotiva won 3–0 against Zadar, and Marko even helped set up a goal. That was his only game that season.
In the next season (2012–13), Marko played much more often. He scored 2 goals in 17 games. But it was during the 2013–14 season that he really started to get noticed by bigger clubs. He scored 7 goals in 31 games, showing off his skills as a winger.
Joining Dinamo Zagreb
In the summer of 2014, Dinamo Zagreb, who were the champions of Croatia's top league, signed Marko Pjaca. The transfer fee was about €1 million. He made his debut for Dinamo in the very first match of the 2014–15 season, and he scored a goal against Slaven Belupo.
On December 11, 2014, Marko scored three goals in one game (a hat-trick) as Dinamo beat Celtic 4–3 in a UEFA Europa League match. He finished that season with 14 goals in 47 games across all competitions. Dinamo Zagreb won the league title for the tenth year in a row! Marko also played the whole game when Dinamo won the 2015 Croatian Football Cup Final after a penalty shootout.
On July 20, 2016, Marko said that his game against Vardar in the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League would be his last for Dinamo. He scored two goals and helped set up another in that farewell match at the Stadion Maksimir, receiving a big cheer from the fans.
Moving to Juventus
On July 21, 2016, Marko Pjaca signed a five-year contract with Juventus, a famous club in Italy. Juventus paid Dinamo €23 million for him. This made Marko the most expensive player ever sold by Dinamo and from Croatia's top football league.
Marko played his first game for Juventus in Italy's top league, Serie A, on August 27. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 win against Lazio. In October 2016, Marko got a fibula injury while playing for Croatia, which kept him out of action for a few months.
He returned in January 2017, playing as a substitute in cup and league games. Marko scored his first goal for Juventus in a UEFA Champions League match against Porto, helping his team win 2–0 away from home. However, on March 28, he suffered a serious ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury while playing for Croatia again. This injury kept him off the field for six months.
Loan to Schalke 04
After recovering from his long injury, Marko joined the German club Schalke 04 on loan on January 4, 2018. He stayed there until the end of the 2017–18 season. Schalke paid €800,000 for the loan, plus extra money if he played well. Schalke wanted to qualify for the Champions League, and their coach thought Marko could help them. Marko also hoped to get more playing time to get back into his best shape before the FIFA World Cup.
He played his first game for Schalke on January 13. In his second game, and first start, on January 21, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw against Hannover 96.
Loan to Fiorentina
On August 7, 2018, Marko Pjaca joined Fiorentina in Italy on a loan deal for the whole season. Fiorentina also had the option to buy him permanently later.
Loan to Anderlecht
On January 31, 2020, Marko moved to the Belgian club Anderlecht on loan until the end of that season.
Loan to Genoa
On September 19, 2020, Marko went on another season-long loan, this time to Genoa in Italy. He scored a goal on his debut for Genoa on September 20, helping them win 4–1 against Crotone.
Loan to Torino
On July 28, 2021, Marko joined Torino on loan, with an option for them to buy him later.
Loan to Empoli
On September 1, 2022, Marko moved to Empoli on loan, also with an option for them to buy him.
Playing for Rijeka
On September 1, 2023, Marko Pjaca signed a three-year contract with Rijeka, another club in Croatia.
Returning to Dinamo Zagreb
On July 3, 2024, Marko Pjaca signed for Dinamo Zagreb again. The transfer fee for his return was 1.5 million euros.
Marko's International Career
Marko Pjaca played his first senior international game for Croatia on September 4, 2014. He came on as a substitute in a 2–0 friendly win against Cyprus. On September 3, 2015, he played his first competitive game for Croatia in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Azerbaijan, which ended in a 0–0 draw. He scored his first international goal for Croatia on June 4, 2016, in a huge 10–0 win over San Marino.
Euro 2016
Marko was part of Croatia's team for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament. He played a very important role in Croatia's impressive 2–1 victory against Spain, who were the champions of Europe at the time. In that match, he showed off his great dribbling skills.
In the next round, Croatia played against Portugal. Marko started on the bench but came on late in extra time. He helped bring more attack to the team with his dribbling. However, Croatia lost 1–0 to Portugal after a goal in the 117th minute, which meant they were out of the tournament.
2018 FIFA World Cup
On June 4, 2018, Marko Pjaca was chosen for Croatia's final 23-player squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Croatia had an amazing tournament and reached the final, where they played against France on July 15. Croatia was defeated 4–2 in the final.
Later International Career
Marko played against Spain in a 3–2 win in the UEFA Nations League. After that, he did not play for the national team for five years. He was called up again for Euro 2024 qualifying matches in November 2023, but he did not play in those games. He finally made his return to the field for Croatia in a 4–2 friendly win over Egypt on March 28, 2024.
How Marko Plays Football
Marko Pjaca is seen as a very talented and promising young player. He is a winger, which means he plays on the sides of the field. He can play on either the left or right side, but he prefers the left. From there, he likes to cut inside towards the goal and either shoot or create chances for his teammates using his stronger right foot. Sometimes, he also plays as an attacking midfielder or a second striker.
Marko is a fast, agile, and skilled player. He is known for his direct and attacking style. Because he is strong, quick, and good at dribbling, he often tries to beat defenders one-on-one. He is also good at making smart runs behind the opposing team's defense to get into good scoring positions.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lokomotiva Zagreb | 2011–12 | Prva HNL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Prva HNL | 17 | 2 | 6 | 2 | – | – | 23 | 4 | |||
| 2013–14 | Prva HNL | 30 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 32 | 7 | ||
| Total | 48 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | 56 | 11 | |||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2014–15 | Prva HNL | 32 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 14 |
| 2015–16 | Prva HNL | 28 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 3 | – | 43 | 12 | ||
| 2016–17 | Prva HNL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | – | 2 | 2 | ||
| Total | 61 | 19 | 10 | 1 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 93 | 28 | ||
| Juventus | 2016–17 | Serie A | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| 2017–18 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019–20 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | ||
| Schalke 04 (loan) | 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 9 | 2 | ||
| Fiorentina (loan) | 2018–19 | Serie A | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 19 | 1 | ||
| Anderlecht (loan) | 2019–20 | Belgian Pro League | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 1 | ||
| Genoa (loan) | 2020–21 | Serie A | 35 | 3 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 38 | 3 | ||
| Torino (loan) | 2021–22 | Serie A | 24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 26 | 3 | ||
| Empoli (loan) | 2022–23 | Serie A | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 17 | 0 | ||
| Rijeka | 2023–24 | HNL | 27 | 7 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 31 | 7 | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | 2024–25 | HNL | 34 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3 | – | 44 | 9 | |
| Career total | 290 | 51 | 32 | 3 | 35 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 358 | 66 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | 2014 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 28 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Croatia's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 June 2016 | Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia | 8 |  San Marino |
1–0 | 10–0 | Friendly |
Awards and Achievements
Dinamo Zagreb
- Prva HNL (Croatian League Champion): 2014–15, 2015–16
- Croatian Cup Winner: 2014–15, 2015–16
Juventus
- Serie A (Italian League Champion): 2016–17, 2017–18
- Coppa Italia (Italian Cup Winner): 2016–17
Croatia National Team
- FIFA World Cup Runner-up: 2018
Individual Awards
- Football Oscar Best Prva HNL player: 2015, 2016
- Croatian Football League Team of the Year: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2023–24
Special Recognition
Order of Duke Branimir: 2018 (This is a special award given by Croatia)
See also
In Spanish: Marko Pjaca para niños
