Miralem Pjanić facts for kids
Pjanić with CSKA Moscow in 2025
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Miralem Pjanić | ||
| Date of birth | 2 April 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Tuzla, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2004 | FC Schifflange 95 | ||
| 2004–2007 | Metz | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2008 | Metz | 32 | (4) |
| 2008–2011 | Lyon | 90 | (10) |
| 2011–2016 | Roma | 159 | (27) |
| 2016–2020 | Juventus | 122 | (15) |
| 2020–2022 | Barcelona | 19 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | → Beşiktaş (loan) | 20 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Sharjah | 41 | (4) |
| 2024–2025 | CSKA Moscow | 16 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2006 | Luxembourg U17 | 4 | (5) |
| 2006–2007 | Luxembourg U19 | 6 | (10) |
| 2008–2024 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 115 | (18) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 May 2025 | |||
Miralem Pjanić (born 2 April 1990) is a professional footballer from Bosnia. He plays as a midfielder, helping his team control the game.
Pjanić started his career at Metz in France. He then moved to Lyon in 2008. In 2011, he joined Roma in Italy. There, he became known as one of the best midfielders in Serie A, Italy's top league.
In 2016, Pjanić moved to Juventus, a very famous Italian club. He was a key player for them, winning four league titles and two Coppa Italia cups. He was also chosen for the Serie A Team of the Year multiple times. In 2017, he was part of the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season when Juventus reached the final.
After Juventus, Pjanić joined Barcelona in Spain in 2020. He also played on loan for Beşiktaş in Turkey. In 2022, he signed with Sharjah in the UAE. In 2024, he joined CSKA Moscow in Russia, leaving the club in June 2025.
Pjanić played for Luxembourg's youth teams. Later, he chose to play for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He played 115 games and scored 18 goals for his country before retiring from international football in 2024. He also played for Bosnia and Herzegovina in their first major tournament, the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
In 2015 and 2019, The Guardian newspaper listed Pjanić among the top 100 footballers in the world.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Miralem Pjanić was born on 2 April 1990 in Tuzla, which is now in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His father, Fahrudin Pjanić, was also a footballer. Miralem became interested in football because of his dad.
His family moved to Luxembourg before the Bosnian War started. In Luxembourg, Miralem often went to training and matches with his father. When he was seven, his father saw his talent and let him join a local club called FC Schifflange 95.
While playing for Schifflange, other clubs from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany noticed him. But in 2004, he decided to join Metz in France. A former Metz player, Guy Hellers, recommended him.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Metz
Pjanić joined Metz when he was 14 years old. He spent about three years in their youth academy. In the 2005–06 season, he played for the under-16 team that won a national championship. After that, he signed a five-year contract with the club.
In the 2007–08 season, Pjanić was moved up to the senior team. He made his first professional football appearance on 18 August 2007. He was only 17 years old. He scored his first professional goal for Metz on 15 December 2007. This made him one of the youngest players to score in Ligue 1, France's top league.
Pjanić also played well in the Coupe de France cup competition. He helped Metz reach the quarter-finals. In total, he played 38 games and scored 5 goals for Metz. He was even nominated for the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award.
Even though Pjanić played well, Metz was relegated to a lower league. This led to many big clubs wanting to sign him.
Moving to Lyon
On 6 June 2008, Pjanić joined Lyon for €7.5 million. He signed a five-year contract. Many people saw him as the future replacement for Lyon's famous player, Juninho.
Pjanić made his league debut for Lyon in a 3–0 win against Toulouse. His first season was cut short when he broke his leg in October 2008. He returned to play two months later.
For the 2009–10 season, Pjanić took over Juninho's number 8 shirt. He started the season strongly, scoring his first goal for Lyon from a free kick in a Champions League match. He continued to score important goals in the Champions League, including one against Real Madrid that helped Lyon reach the quarter-finals.
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Time at Roma
On 31 August 2011, Pjanić joined Italian club Roma. He signed a four-year deal. He scored his first goal for Roma against Lecce.
In the 2013–14 season, Pjanić became a key player for Roma. He helped the team win their first ten league matches, which was a record. He scored 6 goals and made 6 assists that season. In May 2014, he signed a new contract with Roma.
In the 2015–16 season, Pjanić became known as one of the best free-kick takers in the world. He scored a fantastic free-kick goal against Juventus. He finished that season with 10 league goals and 12 assists, making him the top assist provider in Serie A.
Success at Juventus
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On 13 June 2016, Pjanić joined Juventus for €32 million. He signed a five-year contract and chose the number 5 shirt. He scored in his first game for Juventus, a 3–1 win over Sassuolo.
In his first season, he won the Coppa Italia and the Serie A league title. Juventus also reached the Champions League final that year.
Pjanić continued to win titles with Juventus. He won the Serie A title four times in a row (2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20). He also won the Coppa Italia twice and the Supercoppa Italiana once. On 6 October 2018, he played his 100th game for Juventus. He made his final appearance for Juventus on 7 August 2020.
Time at Barcelona and Loans
On 29 June 2020, Pjanić moved to Barcelona in Spain. He signed a four-year contract. He made his debut for Barcelona on 27 September 2020. However, his time at Barcelona was not very successful. He played 30 games but did not score or assist any goals.
On 2 September 2021, Pjanić went on loan to Beşiktaş in Turkey for one season.
Later Career: Sharjah and CSKA Moscow
On 7 September 2022, Pjanić joined Sharjah, a club in the UAE Pro League. He played for Sharjah until 2024.
On 25 September 2024, Pjanić joined CSKA Moscow in Russia as a free agent. He left CSKA Moscow on 25 June 2025.
International Career
Playing for Luxembourg Youth Teams
Because Pjanić grew up in Luxembourg, he was able to play for their national youth teams. He played for Luxembourg in the 2006 European Under-17 Championship. He scored Luxembourg's only goal in that tournament. He also scored 4 goals in one match against Belgium that same year.
Representing Bosnia and Herzegovina
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In May 2008, Pjanić said he wanted to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He needed special approval from FIFA to switch his national team. After an eight-month wait, he received a Bosnian passport.
He played his first game for Bosnia and Herzegovina on 20 August 2008. On 3 March 2010, he scored his first goal for his country.
Pjanić was very important in helping Bosnia and Herzegovina qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This was their first major tournament ever. He played in their opening match against Argentina. On 25 June, he scored a goal in their 3–1 win against Iran. This was Bosnia and Herzegovina's first ever win in a FIFA World Cup.
On 31 March 2021, he played his 100th match for Bosnia and Herzegovina. On 4 May 2024, Pjanić announced his retirement from international football. He played 115 games and scored 18 goals for his country, making him their second most capped player.
How Miralem Pjanić Plays
Miralem Pjanić was nicknamed "il Piccolo Principe" (which means "the Little Prince") when he played for Roma. He was seen as a very promising young midfielder. His Juventus manager, Massimiliano Allegri, even called him a potentially world-class midfielder.
Pjanić is known for being a creative and determined midfielder. He has quick feet and excellent technical skills. He usually plays in the center of the midfield. He can also play as a deep-lying playmaker, which means he helps start attacks from deeper on the field.
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His best skills include his wide range of passes, his dribbling, and his vision. These skills make him great at setting up goals for his teammates. He can also control the speed of his team's play. Pjanić is also known for scoring goals from midfield and for his powerful long-range shots.
He is especially famous for his accurate and bending free-kicks. In 2015, a famous free-kick specialist, Juninho, said Pjanić was the best free-kick taker in the world.
Personal Life
Miralem Pjanić is a Muslim and is from the Bosniak ethnic group. He has a son named Edin with his girlfriend, Josepha.
Pjanić is very good with languages. Besides his native Bosnian, he speaks six other languages: Luxembourgish, French, English, German, Italian, and Spanish. In 2014, he studied sport and physical education at the University of Sarajevo.
He has said that he has been a fan of Real Madrid since he was a child. He loved watching players like Zidane and Ronaldo.
In 2017–18, Pjanić appeared in the Netflix documentary series First Team: Juventus.
Honours and Awards
Miralem Pjanić has won many trophies and awards throughout his career:
Juventus
- Serie A: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Coppa Italia: 2016–17, 2017–18
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2018
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2016–17
Barcelona
- Copa del Rey: 2020–21
Beşiktaş
- Turkish Super Cup: 2021
Sharjah
- UAE President's Cup: 2022–23
- UAE League Cup: 2022–23
CSKA Moscow
- Russian Cup: 2024–25
Individual Awards
- Bosnian Footballer of the Year: 2014
- Serie A Team of the Year: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
- UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2016–17
- Globe Soccer Awards Player Career Award: 2019
- Bosnian Sportsman of the Year: 2020
See also
In Spanish: Miralem Pjanić para niños
