Mateo Kovačić facts for kids
Kovačić with Chelsea in 2019
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Mateo Kovačić | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 6 May 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Linz, Austria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Manchester City | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2007 | LASK | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Dinamo Zagreb | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Dinamo Zagreb | 43 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Inter Milan | 80 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Real Madrid | 73 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | → Chelsea (loan) | 32 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2023 | Chelsea | 110 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Manchester City | 61 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Croatia U14 | 2 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Croatia U15 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Croatia U17 | 15 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Croatia U19 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Croatia U21 | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013– | Croatia | 110 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:48, 21 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:28, 23 March 2025 (UTC) |
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Mateo Kovačić (born on May 6, 1994) is a professional footballer from Croatia. He plays as a central midfielder for the English club Manchester City and the Croatia national team.
Kovačić started his professional career with Dinamo Zagreb when he was just 16. There, he won two league titles. Later, he joined Inter Milan in 2013. In 2015, he moved to Real Madrid, where he won many trophies, including three UEFA Champions League titles in a row from 2016 to 2018. He then played for Chelsea, winning another Champions League title, the UEFA Europa League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. He was even named Chelsea's Player of the Year for the 2019–20 season. In 2023, he joined Manchester City and won the Premier League in his first season.
Mateo was born in Austria but played for Croatia's youth teams before joining the senior national team in 2013. He has played for Croatia in the 2014, 2018, and 2022 FIFA World Cups. He also played in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 UEFA European Championships. He helped Croatia reach the 2018 World Cup final and the 2023 UEFA Nations League final.
Club Career Highlights
Early Years and Dinamo Zagreb
Mateo Kovačić started playing football at a young age at the LASK academy in Austria. When he was 13, many big European clubs noticed him. However, his family decided to move to Zagreb, Croatia, where he joined the academy of Dinamo Zagreb.
In 2009, at 15, Mateo had a serious leg injury that kept him from playing for a long time. He worked hard to recover and returned to the field in May 2010. Just a few months later, in November 2010, he made his professional debut for Dinamo Zagreb. He scored a goal in a 6–0 win, becoming the youngest goal scorer in the league's history at 16 years and 198 days old. In his first season, he helped Dinamo win the league title.
In the 2011–12 season, Kovačić quickly became a regular player. He helped his team reach the group stage of the Champions League for the first time in 12 years. He even scored a goal in the Champions League, making him the second-youngest scorer ever in the competition. He also helped Dinamo win their seventh league title in a row and was named "Croatian Football Hope of the Year."
Time at Inter Milan
On January 31, 2013, Kovačić moved to the Italian club Inter Milan. He made his debut for Inter just three days later. In his first European game for Inter, he helped his team win and received a standing ovation from the fans. His manager, Andrea Stramaccioni, often praised him, calling him a "star for the future."
During his time at Inter, Kovačić became known for his calm play and ability to create chances. He played regularly and even scored his first league goal for Inter in September 2014. He renewed his contract with Inter in January 2015, showing how important he was to the team.
Joining Real Madrid
In August 2015, Kovačić joined the Spanish club Real Madrid. He was the fifth Croatian player to join the famous club. He made his debut a few days later. He scored his first goal for Real Madrid in December 2015.
In his first season, he played 34 games and helped Real Madrid win the Champions League. He continued to be a part of the team as they won the Spanish league and two more Champions League titles in 2017 and 2018. This meant he won the Champions League three times in a row with Real Madrid!
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Moving to Chelsea
On August 8, 2018, Kovačić joined the English club Chelsea on a loan. He quickly became an important player for Chelsea. In May 2019, he started in the Europa League final, which Chelsea won 4–1.
On July 1, 2019, Kovačić permanently joined Chelsea. He scored his first goal for Chelsea in November 2019 in a Champions League game. He also scored his first Premier League goal in December. In August 2020, he was named the Chelsea Player of the Year for his great performances.
In May 2021, Kovačić played in a Champions League final for the first time in his career, even though he had won it three times before. Chelsea beat Manchester City 1–0, giving him his fourth Champions League title. He also helped Chelsea win the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. In January 2022, he scored an amazing goal against Liverpool that won him the "Premier League Goal of the Month" and "Chelsea Goal of the Year" awards.
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Joining Manchester City
On June 27, 2023, Mateo Kovačić signed a four-year deal with Manchester City. He made his first appearance for the club in August 2023 in the FA Community Shield. He won his first trophy with City on August 16, 2023, when they won the UEFA Super Cup after a penalty shootout. He even scored in the shootout! In December 2023, he scored his first goal for Manchester City in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final.
In the opening match of the 2024–25 Premier League season, Kovačić scored his second league goal for Manchester City against his former club Chelsea.
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International Career
Playing for Croatia's Youth Teams
Kovačić played for various Croatian national youth teams. He started with the under-14 team in May 2008. From 2011, he was a regular player for the under-19 and under-21 teams.
Playing for the Senior National Team
Mateo Kovačić joined the Croatian senior team in March 2013 for a World Cup qualification match against Serbia. He played as a central midfielder alongside the famous Luka Modrić. He helped Croatia qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
In June 2014, Kovačić was part of Croatia's World Cup squad. He played in all of Croatia's group stage games. On June 7, 2015, he scored his first goal for Croatia in a friendly match against Gibraltar.
In 2018, Kovačić was selected for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He helped Croatia reach the final, where they were beaten by France. In November 2020, he scored two goals in a game against Portugal, which helped Croatia avoid being moved down to a lower league in the UEFA Nations League.
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Kovačić played in all of Croatia's group stage matches at UEFA Euro 2020. His performances were highly praised. In June 2022, he captained Croatia for the first time in a match against Austria. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Kovačić played a key role as Croatia finished in third place, winning a bronze medal.
On June 3, 2024, he played his 100th game for the national team in a friendly match against North Macedonia.
Player Profile
How He Plays
Kovačić is known for being a very skilled player with excellent dribbling abilities. He can play in different midfield positions. He is often called a 'number 8' or a 'Box to Box' midfielder, meaning he helps both in defense and attack. He is good at winning the ball back and moving it forward quickly.
He started as an attacking midfielder at Dinamo Zagreb but changed his style at Inter Milan to play deeper and control the game. One of his special moves is to get the ball deep in his own half and then run forward with it, weaving past defenders. He is also very good at passing the ball to his teammates.
Kovačić is great at keeping the ball and getting out of tight spots when opponents try to tackle him. He can use his strength and quick changes of pace to get past players. He is known for being "press resistant," meaning he can escape pressure from multiple opponents with a clever dribble or pass.
What People Say About Him
Many people have praised Kovačić's talent. His former youth coach, Martin Novoselac, said he hadn't seen a young player with so much talent since Robert Prosinečki, a famous Croatian player. Kovačić himself said that Prosinečki was his idol growing up.
Zvonimir Boban, another famous Croatian player, said that Kovačić has the potential to be even better than him. He called Kovačić a "complete player" with "incredible potential." Giovanni Trapattoni, a well-known coach, compared him to famous players like Kaká and Clarence Seedorf because of his playing style. Javier Zanetti, a long-time captain at Inter Milan, said that Kovačić was the most promising young player he had seen at the club in 19 years, except for Ronaldo.
Personal Life
Mateo Kovačić was born in Linz, Austria. His parents, Stipo and Ružica, are Bosnian Croats who moved to Austria before the Yugoslav Wars. Mateo is a Catholic and goes to church every Sunday. He can speak five languages: Croatian, German, English, Italian, and Spanish.
In 2017, Kovačić married his longtime girlfriend, Izabel Andrijanić. They had their first child, a boy named Ivan, on October 12, 2020. Ivan was christened in July 2021, and Luka Modrić, Mateo's teammate, is his godfather. In 2025, they welcomed their daughter, Luna.
Honours
Dinamo Zagreb
- Prva HNL: 2010–11, 2011–12
- Croatian Cup: 2010–11, 2011–12
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2016–17
- Supercopa de España: 2017
- UEFA Champions League: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- UEFA Super Cup: 2016, 2017
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Chelsea
- UEFA Champions League: 2020–21
- UEFA Europa League: 2018–19
- UEFA Super Cup: 2021
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2021
- FA Cup runner-up: 2019–20, 2021–22
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2018–19, 2021–22
Manchester City
- Premier League: 2023–24
- FA Community Shield: 2024
- UEFA Super Cup: 2023
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2023
- FA Cup runner-up: 2023–24
Croatia
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2018; third place: 2022
- UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2022–23
Individual Awards
- Croatian Football Hope of the Year: 2011
- Chelsea Player of the Season: 2019–20
- Chelsea Goal of the Season: 2021–22
- Premier League Goal of the Month: January 2022
Orders
Order of Duke Branimir: 2018
See also
In Spanish: Mateo Kovačić para niños
