Petar Musa
Musa with Benfica in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth (1998-03-04) 4 March 1998 (age 25)[1]
Place of birth Zagreb, Croatia
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 FC Dallas
Number 9
Youth career
2006–2007 Hrvatski Dragovoljac
2007–2015 NK Zagreb
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2017 NK Zagreb II 21 (16)
2015–2017 NK Zagreb 16 (0)
2017 Inter Zaprešić 0 (0)
2017–2022 Slavia Prague 30 (11)
2017–2018 → Viktoria Žižkov (loan) 34 (11)
2019 → Slovan Liberec (loan) 28 (7)
2021 → Union Berlin (loan) 14 (1)
2021–2022 → Boavista (loan) 27 (11)
2022–2024 Benfica 44 (12)
2024– FC Dallas 0 (0)
International career‡
2015 Croatia U18 3 (1)
2019–2021 Croatia U21 11 (4)
2023– Croatia 6 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Croatia
UEFA Nations League
Runner-up 2023 Netherlands
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 02:02, 20 January 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 01:20, 13 November 2023 (UTC)

Petar Musa (Croatian pronunciation: [pětar mûsa]; born 4 March 1998) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Major League Soccer club FC Dallas and the Croatia national team.

Club career

Early career

Born in Zagreb, Musa started playing football in the Hrvatski Dragovoljac youth system, before joining NK Zagreb in 2007.[3] He made his first team debut on 1 March 2016 in the Prva HNL in a 3–0 away loss to Slaven Belupo.[3] Musa eventually made six appearances for his team, as they were relegated to the 2. HNL.[3]

Slavia Prague

Musa was signed by Slavia Prague in 2017, but he was immediately loaned out to Viktoria Žižkov in the Czech National Football League.[3] He scored 12 goals in 37 games on loan, but during the winter transfer window, he was loaned to Slovan Liberec in February 2019, making his debut in the Czech First League on 16 February in a 2–1 away loss against Baník Ostrava.[3]

During the first half of 2019–20, Musa began displaying an impressive goalscoring form, scoring seven goals for his team, including a brace against Mladá Boleslav on 27 October, which led Slavia Prague to recall him from his loan and integrating him into the club's first team.[4] In the league season, Musa scored Slavia's goal in the 1–1 draw to rivals Sparta Prague in the Prague derby, the winning goal in a 1–0 away victory over 1. FK Příbram, netted a brace in the 4–0 home victory over FK Jablonec.[4] He finished the season as the league's top scorer alongside Libor Kozák, with 14 goals. In doing so, he became the youngest ever player (aged 22 years and 122 days) to achieve that feat.[4]

Despite being scouted by a number of established European teams, Musa decided to stay in Prague for another season in order to continue his development.[5] However, he fell into a scoring drought and was loaned for the remainder of the season to German Bundesliga side 1. FC Union Berlin on 1 February 2021, at the last day of the 2020–21 winter transfer window.[3][6] The loan fee paid to Slavia Prague was reported as €200,000 by sports magazine Kicker.[6] On 17 April, he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 2–1 home victory over VfB Stuttgart,[7] but he added no more goals in 14 games for the rest of the season.[5]

Instead of returning to Slavia Prague, Musa was sent on a season-long loan to Portuguese Primeira Liga side Boavista on 25 August 2021, with an option to buy.[5][8] He scored 12 goals and provided four assists, helping his side to a 12th place finish, as Boavista triggered Musa's buyout clause of €3.5 million.[9]

Benfica

On 20 May 2022, Musa signed a five-year contract with Benfica of the same league, for a fee of €5 million, plus half of Ricardo Mangas' economic rights and Ilija Vukotić being sent to Boavista in part-exchange for €500,000 of half of his economic rights bringing the net cost of the transaction to €4.5 million.[10]

He made his debut for the club on 23 August, replacing Gonçalo Ramos in the 52nd minute in the 3–0 home win over Dynamo Kyiv in the second leg of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League play-off round, helping his side qualify to the tournament.[11] Four days later, Musa made his league debut, against his former side Boavista, providing an assist and managed to win a penalty for his side after being fouled inside the box, which was subsequently converted by João Mário in a 3–0 win.[12][13] He scored his first goal on 8 October, closing a 4–2 home win over Rio Ave.[14] On 15 October, Musa scored the opener in a 1–1 draw to Liga 3 side Caldas in the third round of the Taça de Portugal, which Benfica went on to win 6–4 in a penalty shoot-out, after extra-time.[15] On 2 November, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 6–1 away win against Maccabi Haifa in their last 2022–23 UEFA Champions League group stage match, to ensure Benfica's qualification to the round of sixteen, as group winners.[16] Over the course of the season, Musa remained a back up to first choice Gonçalo Ramos, as he only made substitute appearances, finishing the season with 11 goals in all competitions as he helped Benfica to win their first Primeira Liga title since 2019.[17]

Musa started the 2023–24 season, on 9 August, closing the 2–0 victory over Porto in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, winning his second trophy with Benfica.[18]

FC Dallas

On 1 February 2024, Musa moved to Major League Soccer side FC Dallas, where he signed a four-year contract, with an option for a further year, as a Designated Player.[19][20] The American club paid a club-record $9.7 million transfer fee, which could rise to $13 million with add-ons.[21]

International career

Musa began his international career with under-18 level in 2015, for a total of three caps. On 14 November 2019, Musa won his first cap for the under-21 side in a 3–1 victory in Lithuania for the 2021 European Championship qualification campaign.[22] In March 2021, Musa took part in the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, helping Croatia to a quarter-final finish, after losing 2–1 to Spain in extra-time.[23]

He was called up to the senior side by manager Zlatko Dalić on 16 May 2022, for the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League matches against Austria, France and Denmark.[24] He made his senior international debut on 25 March 2023, replacing Marko Livaja in the 53rd minute of a 1–1 draw over Wales in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers.[25]

Personal life

His father Željko, is a Herzegovinian Croat hailing from Široki Brijeg.[26]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 24 January 2024[27]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Zagreb 2015–16 Prva HNL 6 0 — — — — 6 0
2016–17 2. HNL 10 0 — — — — 10 0
Total 16 0 — — — — 16 0
Viktoria Žižkov (loan) 2017–18 Czech National Football League 20 5 1 1 — — — 21 6
2018–19 Czech National Football League 14 6 2 0 — — — 16 6
Total 34 11 3 1 — — — 37 12
Slovan Liberec (loan) 2018–19 Czech First League 10 0 1 0 — — — 11 0
2019–20 Czech First League 17 7 3 1 — — — 20 8
Total 27 7 4 1 — — — 31 8
Slavia Prague 2019–20 Czech First League 14 7 — — — — 14 7
2020–21 Czech First League 14 4 1 0 — 6[c] 0 — 21 4
2021–22 Czech First League 2 0 — — 2[d] 0 — 4 0
Total 30 11 1 0 — 8 0 — 39 11
Union Berlin (loan) 2020–21 Bundesliga 14 1 0 0 — — — 14 1
Boavista (loan) 2021–22 Primeira Liga 27 11 1 0 3 1 — — 31 12
Benfica 2022–23 Primeira Liga 30 7 2 1 3 1 6[d] 2 — 41 11
2023–24 Primeira Liga 14 5 3 0 1 0 6[d] 0 1[e] 1 25 6
Total 44 12 5 1 4 1 12 2 1 1 66 17
FC Dallas 2024 MLS 0 0 0 0 — — — 0 0
Career total 192 53 14 3 7 2 20 2 1 1 234 61
  1. ^ Includes Czech Cup, Taça de Portugal
  2. ^ Includes Taça da Liga
  3. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  5. ^ Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

Honours

Slavia Prague

Benfica

Croatia

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Petar Musa | Croatia | UEFA Nations League". UEFA. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Musa". S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f 1. FC Union Berlin (1 February 2021). "PETAR MUSA SIGNS ON LOAN". slavia.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 8 June 2022.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b c d Slavia Prague (25 July 2020). "Petar Musa králem střelců 2019/20". slavia.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Croatian Sports (7 February 2022). "Petar Musa: Croatia's Hottest Striker Right Now". croatiansports.com (in Croatian). Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Slavia Prags Petar Musa verstärkt die Offensive Union Berlins". kicker (in German). 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  7. ^ HINA (17 April 2021). "VIDEO: Mladi Hrvat zabio svoj bundesligaški prvijenac, 'wunderkind' vodio Bayern do važne pobjede". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Petar Musa é o novo reforço do Boavista FC" (in Portuguese). Boavista. 25 August 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Benfica: entendimento por Musa, Vukotic no Boavista em definitivo" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  10. ^ "Petar Musa é do Benfica!" (in Portuguese). Benfica. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  11. ^ "LESÃO DE GONÇALO RAMOS DÁ A ESTREIA A PETAR MUSA". A Bola. 23 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Bom trabalho de Musa e João Mário faz o segundo no Bessa (vídeo)". A Bola. 27 August 2022.
  13. ^ "João Mário bisa de penálti no Bessa (vídeo)". A Bola. 27 August 2022.
  14. ^ "Musa: «Este golo é bom para a minha confiança»" (in Portuguese). Record. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Excelente trabalho de Musa para o golo do Benfica nas Caldas (vídeo)". A Bola. 15 October 2022.
  16. ^ Matthew, Marshall (2 November 2022). "Benfica crush Maccabi Haifa to snatch top spot from PSG in Group H". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  17. ^ Kundert, Tom (27 May 2023). "Benfica crowned champions of Portugal". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Ángel Di María and Petar Musa on target as Benfica beat Porto 2-0 in the Super Cup". OneFootball. 9 August 2023.
  19. ^ "FC Dallas Acquires Forward Petar Musa for Club-Record Fee". FC Dallas. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  20. ^ "Musa transferido" [Musa transferred] (in European Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  21. ^ "FC Dallas sign Petar Musa from Benfica for club-record fee". MLS. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Croatia vs. Lithuania".
  23. ^ "Croatia vs Spain". UEFA.com. 6 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  24. ^ "Petar Musa chamado à seleção da Croácia". Radio Renascenca (in Portuguese). 16 May 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  25. ^ "Euro 2024 qualifying: Croatia 1-1 Wales - reaction to late Wales goal". BBC Sport. 24 March 2023.
  26. ^ "Novi Dalićev dragulj: Nisam slučajno na popisu, uzor mi je Mandžukić, a mama je igrala nogomet".
  27. ^ Petar Musa at Sofascore. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  28. ^ "Návrat ztracených synů! Souček, Coufal, Král či Škoda budou čestnými hosty při předání poháru Slavii". Ruik. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  29. ^ "Sima scores winning goal as Slavia Prague win Czech Cup and the double". Goal. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  30. ^ Kundert, Tom (27 May 2023). "Benfica crowned champions of Portugal". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  31. ^ Vaza, Marco (9 August 2023). "Benfica soube mudar para ganhar a Supertaça". Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 9 August 2023.

External links

FC Dallas – current squad
Czech First League top scorers
Categories