Oršić, Modrić, Perišić: Who are Croatia's top UEFA Champions League performers?

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Which Croatian players have the most appearances and goals in Europe's leading club competition?

Mislav Oršić, Luka Modrić and Ivan Perišić ©Getty Images

Croatia became a UEFA member nation in 1993, two years after the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, but Croatian players and clubs had long been a presence in UEFA club competitions. The nation's top players, meanwhile, have graced the biggest stages with the most successful sides, Luka Modrić notably winning the UEFA Champions League five times with Real Madrid.

Most appearances by Croatian players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

128: Luka Modrić (Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid)
93: Ivan Rakitić (Basel, Schalke, Barcelona, Sevilla)
89: Darijo Srna (Hajduk Split, Shakhtar Donetsk)
74: Mario Mandžukić (Dinamo Zagreb, Bayern München, Atlético Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan)
73: Mateo Kovačić (Dinamo Zagreb, Real Madrid, Chelsea)
54: Dejan Lovren (Dinamo Zagreb, Lyon, Liverpool, Zenit)
51: Robert Kovač (Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern München, Juventus)
48: Ivan Perišić (Dortmund, Inter Milan, Bayern, Tottenham)
47: Eduardo (Dinamo Zagreb, Arsenal, Shakhtar Donetsk)
45: Sammir (Dinamo Zagreb)

Top-scoring Croatian players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

The prolific Mario Mandžukić©Getty Images

28: Mario Mandžukić (Dinamo Zagreb, Bayern München, Atlético de Madrid, Juventus)
15: Mislav Oršić (Dinamo Zagreb)
13: Eduardo (Dinamo Zagreb, Arsenal, Shakhtar Donetsk)
12: Ivica Olić (CSKA Moskva, Hamburg, Bayern München)
11: Alen Bokšić (Marseille, Juventus, Lazio)
11: Luka Modrić (Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid)
10: Boško Balaban (Rijeka, Dinamo Zagreb, Club Brugge)
10: Bruno Petković (Dinamo Zagreb)
10: Dado Pršo (Monaco, Rangers)
10: Ivan Rakitić (Schalke, Sevilla, Barcelona)

Most appearances by Croatian players in UEFA club competition*

Shakhtar stalwart Darijo Srna©AFP/Getty Images

147: Luka Modrić (Dinamo Zagreb, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid)
146: Darijo Srna (Hajduk Split, Shakhtar Donetsk)
139: Ivan Rakitić (Basel, Schalke, Sevilla, Barcelona)
100: Mateo Kovačić (Dinamo Zagreb, Real Madrid, Chelsea)
95: Mario Mandžukić (Dinamo Zagreb, Bayern München, Atlético Madrid, Juventus)
95: Ognjen Vukojević (Slaven Koprivnica, Dinamo Zagreb, Dynamo Kyiv, Austria Wien)
84: Domagoj Vida (Leverkusen, Dinamo Zagreb, Dynamo Kyiv, Beşiktaş)
83: Dejan Lovren (Dinamo Zagreb, Lyon, Liverpool, Zenit)
82: Mladen Petrić (Grasshopper Club, Basel, Hamburg, Panathinaikos)
82: Ivan Perišić (Club Brugge, Dortmund, Wolfsburg, Inter Milan, Bayern, Tottenham)

Top-scoring Croatian players in UEFA club competition*

32: Mario Mandžukić (Dinamo Zagreb, Bayern München, Atlético de Madrid, Juventus)
28: Mislav Oršić (Dinamo Zagreb)
27: Mladen Petrić (Grasshopper Club, Basel, Hamburg, Panathinaikos)
26: Ivica Olić (Dinamo Zagreb, CSKA Moskva, Hamburg, Bayern München, Wolfsburg)
25: Zlatko Vujović (Hajduk Split, Bordeaux, Paris)
21: Eduardo (Dinamo Zagreb, Arsenal, Shakhtar Donetsk)
19: Bruno Petković (Dinamo Zagreb)
17: Boško Balaban (Rijeka, Dinamo Zagreb, Aston Villa, Club Brugge)
17: Miljenko Mumlek (Varaždin, Dinamo Zagreb, Standard Liège)
17: Marin Tomasov (Hajduk Split, Rijeka, Astana)

Notable firsts

Robert Prosinečki with the trophy in 1991

First Croatian player to win the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League
Robert Prosinečki (Crvena zvezda 0-0 Marseille, aet, Crvena zvezda win 5-3 on penalties, 1990/91)

First Croatian to appear in a UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League final win
Mladen Ramljak (Tottenham Hotspur 2-4 agg Feyenoord, 1973/74)

Only Croatian club to win the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (non-UEFA affiliated predecessor of the UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League)
Dinamo Zagreb (1966/67)

First Croatian to score in a UEFA Champions League final
Mario Mandžukić (Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Bayern München, 2012/13)

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*UEFA club competitions means European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, Europa Conference League, European/South American Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup

Oršić, Modrić, Perišić: Who are Croatia's top UEFA Champions League performers?

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Most appearances by Croatian players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

Top-scoring Croatian players in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (including qualifying)

Most appearances by Croatian players in UEFA club competition*

Top-scoring Croatian players in UEFA club competition*

Notable firsts