Marcelo Brozović

Marcelo Brozović (Croatian pronunciation: [martsělo brǒːzoʋitɕ]; born 16 November 1992) is a Croatian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Qatari club Al Sadd.

After coming up through Hrvatski Dragovoljac's youth ranks, Brozović appeared in 22 games for his boyhood club in 2011, a season which saw the side relegated. Following the relegation, Brozović signed with Lokomotiva, where he spent one season, leading the club to a mid-table finish. In August 2012, Brozović moved to a new Zagreb club, this time to Dinamo Zagreb, where he spent three seasons as key contributor, before he was sent out on loan in January 2015 to Inter Milan. After spending 1+1⁄2 years on loan with the club, Inter Milan signed Brozović permanently for €5 million. Brozović spent seven seasons with Inter, making over 300 appearances with the club, and helping lead them to their first Serie A title in over a decade in 2021, as well as two European finals (Europa League in 2020 and Champions League in 2023). In the summer of 2023, Brozović moved to the Saudi Pro League, signing with Al-Nassr for a fee of €18 million.

Brozović made his international debut for Croatia in June 2014. He represented the nation at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2016, 2020 and 2024 UEFA European Championships, reaching the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2023 UEFA Nations League finals.

Brozović was born in Zagreb, and graduated from neighbouring Hrvatski Dragovoljac's youth setup. He made his debut as a professional on 24 July 2010, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–4 loss against Dinamo Zagreb. Brozović scored his first goal on 18 March of the following year, the winner against Karlovac.

In July 2011, he signed with Lokomotiva, after Dragovoljac's relegation. He appeared in 27 league matches in his first campaign, scoring four times as Lokomotiva achieved a comfortable mid-table position.

In August 2012, Brozović signed a seven-year contract with Dinamo Zagreb, as a replacement for Hamburger SV-bound Milan Badelj. He was given squad number 77, and made his competitive debut on 14 September in the goalless draw against NK Osijek at home, appearing as a second-half substitute. Four days later, Brozović made his UEFA Champions League debut by playing full-90 minutes in a 0–2 home defeat to Porto in the matchday 1 of group stage.

He had to wait until 14 April of the following year to score his first Dinamo Zagreb goal, as he netted the second of the 2–0 home win over Inter Zaprešić. Brozović finished his first season with the club by making 30 appearances in all competitions, including 23 in league, scoring twice in the process, as Dinamo Zagreb won league, reached second round of the 2012–13 Croatian Football Cup, and was eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League.

On 24 January 2015, Brozović signed with Inter Milan on a one-and-a-half year-loan deal, with a conditional obligation for Inter to buy. He became the 900th player to wear the Nerazzurri shirt. Brozović took his preferred shirt number 77, last worn at Inter by Sulley Muntari. He made his official debut with the club on 1 February 2015, coming on as a substitute in the 3–1 away upset of Inter against Sassuolo. He scored his first Inter goal in final day in a 4–3 win over Empoli, helping Inter to end the season with a win. Brozović finished his first Inter season with 15 league appearances, 13 of them as a starter and one goal.

Brozović begun his first full-season at Inter by starting in the 2015–16 Serie A opening match against Atalanta at home. He scored his first league goal of the season on 23 November during the match against Frosinone at home, coming off the bench in 88th minute and netting the fourth goal of the match four minutes later, helping Inter to record its biggest win of the season. On 12 December, Brozović scored his second league goal, a screamer, and the last goal of the 4–0 away win against Udinese, celebrating the goal with his teammates with "EpicBrozo" signature in the process. Three days later, in the 2015–16 Coppa Italia's round of 16 match against Cagliari, Brozović scored the same identical goal he scored against Udinese, helping Inter to progress in the quarter-final with a 3–0 win. On 7 February of the following year, he assisted Jeison Murillo's goal from a corner kick in the match against Hellas Verona, which finished in a 3–3 away draw. Two week later, Brozović supplied his second assist to Mauro Icardi who scored the third goal of the 3–1 home win against Sampdoria.

On 2 March, in the returning leg of Coppa Italia's semi-final against Juventus at San Siro, Brozović scored a brace, including one with penalty kick, to help Inter overturn the 3–0 defeat and equal the aggregate 3–3, which led the match into the penalty shootouts; he scored his penalty shootout attempt, but Inter lost 3–5 and eventually was eliminated from the competition.

Brozović started the new season by playing the last 20 minutes of the 2–0 defeat at Chievo Verona, picking up a yellow card in the 79th minute. On 15 September, during the first match of 2016–17 UEFA Europa League group stage against Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Brozović played as a starter before was substituted in the beginning of the second half; he refused to stay in the bench which created controversies at Inter. This led the coach Frank de Boer to omit him for the league match against Juventus for "unprofessional behaviour". Speaking about the issue, De Boer stated that Brozović "has to demonstrate his discipline", adding that "he did something I couldn't accept".

He was finally called back on 20 October for the league match against Cagliari, finished in a 1–2 home defeat, remaining as an unused substitute. Four days later, he made his on-field debut in the matchday 3 of 2016–17 UEFA Europa League group stage against Southampton, but was sent off in the 77th minute after receiving a second yellow card.

On 3 July 2023, Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr confirmed that they had secured Brozović for a transfer fee of €18m. Later that month, on 31 July, he made his debut for the club in a 4–1 win against US Monastir in the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. The competition was won by his club with a 2–1 victory over Al Hilal after extra time in the final on 12 August. Later that month, on 22 August, he scored his first goal in the stoppage time of a 4–2 victory over Shabab Al Ahli during the AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs. He won his second title with the club by helping them secure the 2025–26 Saudi Pro League title before leaving the club at the end of the season.

On 13 September 2026, he joined Qatari club Al Sadd.

Brozović debuted for Croatia U21 in a 4–0 loss against Switzerland in September 2011, forming a midfield partnership with Mateo Kovačić.

On 31 May 2014, Brozović was included in Niko Kovač's final list for 2014 FIFA World Cup, and made his senior squad debut on 7 June, starting in a 1–0 victory against Australia at the Estádio de Pituaçu. Brozović made his World Cup debut five days later, playing the last 26 minutes in a 1–3 loss against Brazil. Since the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Brozović has become a regular starter in Croatia's UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, playing alongside Luka Modrić and Ivan Rakitić as part of a rotating midfield triangle for Croatia. Later that October, Brozović scored his first goal for Croatia in a 6–0 home victory against Azerbaijan. His second goal of the Euro 2016 qualifiers came in March 2015 against Norway, when he gave his team a 1–0 lead with a low curving shot from 20 meters into the bottom right corner.

In May 2016, Brozović was part of Croatia squad for the UEFA Euro 2016. He made his first UEFA European Championship appearance in Croatia's first match of Group D against Turkey, playing full 90 minutes as the team won 1–0. He later netted a brace for Croatia on 12 November 2016 in a World Cup qualifier against Iceland.

In May 2018, Brozović was named in Croatia's preliminary 32-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He was included in the final squad as Croatia progressed all the way to the final against France. Brozović was a mainstay in the starting lineup, and he went the full 90 as Croatia lost 4–2.

In May 2021, Brozović was called up for the postponed UEFA Euro 2020. In November 2022, he was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Croatia managed to win the bronze medal in the latter, after a 2–1 victory against Morocco in the third place play-off.

On 7 June 2024, he was named in the 26-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2024. Two months later, on 14 August, he announced his retirement from international football, having earned 99 caps for his country.

He usually plays as a deep-lying playmaker or box-to-box midfielder, but is a midfielder.

Brozović married Silvija Lihtar in 2016; their daughter, Aurora, was born one year later. In October 2019 they had their second child, a son called Rafael.

In summer 2018, Brozović donated sets of textbooks to all primary school students for the forthcoming school year in Cerić, Croatia. In June 2020, he paid for a hip surgery for a Macedonian woman whom he had never met before.

AFC Champions League Two runner-up: 2025–26

FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2018; third place: 2022

UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2019–20