Mateo Kovačić

Mateo Kovačić is a Croatian central midfielder born in Linz, Austria, who developed at Dinamo Zagreb after beginning in the LASK youth system. He made his senior debut for Dinamo in 2010 before joining Inter in 2013, where he played in several midfield roles. In 2015, Kovačić moved to Real Madrid and belonged to squads that won three successive Champions League titles. He joined Chelsea on loan in 2018, then made the move permanent and helped the club win the 2021 Champions League. Kovačić was also named Chelsea’s Player of the Year for 2019–20. In 2023, he joined Manchester City and won the Premier League in his first season. A Croatia international, he was involved in the team’s run to the 2018 World Cup final. Mateo Kovačić combines press resistance, forward carrying, secure passing and defensive work with the versatility to play as a deep-lying or box-to-box midfielder.